Dariush Eghbali Supports Women's Strike at Evin Prison, Calls for Abolishing Execution of Sharifeh Mohammadi

Dariush Eghbali, a renowned singer, on Saturday, October 6, during his concert in Stockholm, Sweden, expressed support for the protests and hunger strikes of women in Evin Prison, calling for the abolition of the death sentence and the release of Sharifeh Mohammadi. The Instagram account of the campaign for Sharifeh Mohammadi's freedom shared a clip of Dariush's remarks during the concert, noting that as he spoke about the united struggle against the death penalty, a large image with the text "No to Execution" was displayed on the screen. The popular and civil rights activist singer stated, "The women of Evin Prison protested and went on hunger strikes due to the executions taking place; their voices must be heard by our compatriots." He further announced that all prisoners facing the death penalty should be defended regardless of their political and ideological leanings. Dariush Eghbali, speaking in the presence of several relatives of Sharifeh Mohammadi at the concert, added, "I believe we need to plan to support civil movements. The struggle is not sporadic; it is ongoing." This famous singer emphasized that "we are going through a new chapter in our country's history" and warned, "We must be mindful of the future, a future where we all must be under one umbrella." According to reports, in the days leading up to this, several members of the campaign and supporters of Sharifeh Mohammadi had sent messages to this popular singer requesting that "he, who is concerned about defending oppressed people, mention Sharifeh Mohammadi and political prisoners during his concert." Sharifeh Mohammadi was arrested in December of last year and on July 5, 2024, was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Rasht on charges of "baghy" (rebellion). This sentence was issued based on accusations from the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic regarding Ms. Mohammadi's membership in "Komala," a claim that has been strongly denied by Ms. Mohammadi, her husband Siros Fathi, and the Komala Party. Previously, the campaign for Sharifeh Mohammadi reported torture inflicted on her in the detention center of the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj. A large number of activists and human rights organizations, labor unions in Iran, as well as human rights organizations and labor unions worldwide, along with several Iranian activists, condemned the death sentence issued for Ms. Mohammadi. Italy has requested a review of Sharifeh Mohammadi's death sentence. Narges Mohammadi has called on the General Assembly for help in stopping human rights violations in Iran. The prolonged process of addressing the case of a labor activist sentenced to death has raised concerns from the campaign for Sharifeh Mohammadi. French unions have called for the release of imprisoned labor and civil activists in Iran.