Amnesty International: The Global Community Must Demand an End to Executions and the Release of Sharifeh Mohammadi

On Friday, February 15, Amnesty International strongly criticized the reissuance of the death sentence for Sharifeh Mohammadi, a labor activist imprisoned in Lakan prison in Rasht. The human rights organization emphasized on its Instagram account that "the global community, including the United Nations and the European Union, must immediately demand that Iranian authorities halt any plans to carry out her execution and release her immediately." Amnesty International stated: "The shameless manner" in which death sentences are issued by the Iranian authorities through "pursuing highly unfair trials in revolutionary courts amid allegations of torture and other abuses, once again reveals their blatant disregard for the right to life." The organization called on the international community to "act immediately." The "Campaign to Defend Sharifeh Mohammadi" reported on Thursday, citing her lawyers Mohammad Reza Nazari Nejad and Mohammad Reza Sarvari, that Ms. Mohammadi, whose previous death sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court and her case was referred for reconsideration to an equivalent branch, has once again been sentenced to death by the second branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Rasht. The court session was held on November 15 of this year. According to the ruling from the second branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Rasht, which was communicated to Sharifeh Mohammadi's lawyers, she was sentenced to death on charges of "rebellion through membership in one of the opposition groups." Mohammad Ali Darvish Ghatari, the head of the second branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Rasht who confirmed this ruling, is the son of the judge of the first branch, Ahmad Darvish Ghatari, who issued the previous ruling. The campaign to defend Sharifeh Mohammadi emphasized that "the baseless accusation against Sharifeh, which alleges her membership in Komala through her involvement in the Coordination Committee to Help Establish Labor Organizations, is unfounded," stressing that the Coordination Committee is an independent labor organization and has no political affiliations. Sharifeh Mohammadi, 45, from Miyaneh in East Azerbaijan and residing in Rasht, was arrested by agents of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence in Rasht on December 5 of last year and was imprisoned for several weeks in solitary confinement in Lakan prison. She was then transferred for several weeks to the Sanandaj Intelligence Department prison, where she reportedly faced psychological and physical torture similar to her detention in Rasht. Meanwhile, the reissuance of the death sentence for Ms. Mohammadi has drawn criticism from the Coordination Committee for the Establishment of Labor Organizations, the Free Workers Union of Iran, the Syndicate of Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company, the Coordinating Council of Cultural Associations of Iran, the Iran Human Rights Organization, and the Iran Human Rights Campaign. The continuation of the "No to Executions Tuesdays" campaign stands against the execution machine of the Islamic Republic. A gathering of civil activists and families of death row prisoners was held in front of Evin prison. The UN Special Rapporteur called for an immediate halt to the execution order of Pakhshan Aziz. The reissuance of the death sentence for Sharifeh Mohammadi has raised concerns, particularly as the judges of the two courts are "father and son." The UN stated that the death of Jamshid Sharmard in custody is a serious violation of human rights. The "No to Executions Tuesdays" campaign has warned about the risk of executing Pakhshan Aziz. The Iran Human Rights Campaign urged the international community to break its silence regarding executions. A statement from 1,200 activists and political prisoners called for an end to the execution of women in Iran. Vrisheh Moradi, a political prisoner sentenced to death, stated that society is resisting oppression.