Civil Activists Condemn Death Sentence for Variesh Moradi

A number of Iranian political and civil activists condemned the death sentence issued for Variesh Moradi, a Kurdish political prisoner, in a statement released on Saturday, March 16. They called on all individuals concerned about the abolition of the death penalty to oppose these inhumane sentences regardless of their own or others' political affiliations, and to do everything possible to prevent these government killings from occurring in silence. In this context, Amnesty International called for the cancellation of the death sentence and the release of Variesh Moradi on Friday, March 8. The human rights organization noted that Ms. Moradi faces the death penalty due to her 'severely unfair trial' in the Islamic Revolutionary Court. Amnesty International emphasized that Iranian authorities must cancel any plans for the execution of this political prisoner due to the lack of a fair trial and subsequently release her. Variesh Moradi was sentenced to death on November 11 of this year by Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran on charges of 'baghi' (armed rebellion against the government). She was arrested on July 31 of last year in the suburbs of Sanandaj and was transferred from the Ministry of Intelligence detention center known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison to the women's ward of this prison on January 25 of the same year after the interrogation process was completed. This political prisoner previously revealed in an open letter from prison that she had been subjected to physical and psychological torture, threats of execution, and gender-based violence during her detention. In addition to Ms. Moradi, several other political prisoners such as Pakhshan Azizi, Sharifeh Mohammadi, Mahdi Hasani, and Behrouz Ehsani Islamloo are at risk of execution. The increasing issuance and execution of death sentences by the judiciary of the Islamic Republic has drawn significant criticism globally, including repeated condemnation from the United States. A letter from 17 human rights organizations stated that the lives of Pakhshan Azizi and Variesh Moradi are in danger. A member of the European Parliament has taken up the case of two political prisoners sentenced to death in Iran, and three Canadian lawmakers have taken political sponsorship of three female political prisoners. On International Women's Day, it was reported that at least 30 women had been executed by the Islamic Republic in the past year.