Death Sentences for Six Political Prisoners in Evin Prison on Charges of 'Baqi' Based on 'Judge's Knowledge'

The 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign announced in a statement, a copy of which was obtained by Voice of America, that since last Tuesday, more than 28 individuals have been executed in various prisons, including two child offenders who were hanged in Yazd and Qazalhesar prisons. According to reports received by this campaign, the number of executions since the beginning of the year 1403 has reached approximately 743. The intensity of these sentences in recent weeks, especially in the Lakan prison in Rasht, which has been one of the main centers for executions in recent months, prompted members of this campaign to react with a protest statement earlier this week. The statement further revealed that the judiciary recently sentenced a political prisoner named Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, one of the detainees from the 1401 protests in Urmia prison, to death. Additionally, death sentences have been issued for six political prisoners in Evin prison on charges of 'Baqi'. These individuals, including Vahid Bani-Amirian, Pouya Ghobadi, Babak Alipour, Ali Akbar Daneshvar, Abolhasan Montazeri, and Mohammad Taghavi, are members of the 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign. The statement emphasizes that the 'unjust trial process of these political prisoners' is even more regrettable as Eman Afshari, head of Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, issued their death sentences based on 'Judge's Knowledge'. Members of the campaign, consisting of anti-death penalty prisoners in 25 prisons across the country, warned in this statement that over the years, the judiciary of the Islamic Republic has used 'Judge's Knowledge' as a tool for issuing death sentences in many cases. This approach, along with months of torture, interrogation, and solitary confinement, makes the scandal and fabrication of such cases more evident. The campaign also referenced the issuance of death sentences for six political prisoners known as the 'Ekbatani Children' and emphasized that such repression will never deter the people of Iran from fighting for freedom. The 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign, aimed at abolishing the death penalty and ending state violence, calls on all human rights organizations and international bodies to take immediate and effective actions to save the lives of prisoners and free all political prisoners. The statement appreciates all segments of society, including workers, retirees, teachers, students, and activists who have stood against executions with their protests and gatherings, and emphasizes the continuation of these efforts. Members of this campaign announced that on Tuesday, 13 Azar, during the forty-fifth week of this movement, they will go on hunger strike in 25 different prisons. The hunger-striking prisoners within the framework of the 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign are present in various prisons across the country, including: Evin (women's ward and wards 4 and 8), Qazalhesar (units 3 and 4), central prisons of Karaj, Greater Tehran, Arak, Khorramabad, Asadabad Isfahan, Dashtgerd Isfahan, Shiban Ahvaz, Nazem Shiraz, Bam, Kahnouj, Mashhad, Qaemshahr, Lakan Rasht (men's and women's wards), Ardabil, Tabriz, Urmia, Salmas, Khoy, Naqdeh, Saqez, Baneh, Marivan, and Kamyaran. The women's ward of Lakan prison in Rasht has announced that they continue to support the 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign and emphasize the continuation of this solidarity in the forty-fifth week of this widespread hunger strike. According to this report, they noted the increase in executions in Lakan prison, which occur 'daily' and are mainly based on 'non-political' charges, stating: 'We cannot bear this level of cruelty and remain silent. Our fight to stop executions, regardless of the type of charge, will continue.' These women prisoners indicated that they will continue their hunger strike as a way to show the seriousness of the fight against executions and believe that only through solidarity and collective support can the execution machine be stopped. The campaign defending Sharifeh Mohammadi also called for the unconditional release of political prisoners, including Sharifeh Mohammadi. Ms. Mohammadi, a labor activist, women's rights advocate, and opponent of the death penalty, has been imprisoned in Lakan since 14 Azar last year. She was sentenced to death on 14 Tir this year by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht on charges of 'Baqi', but following widespread protests in Iran and the world and the efforts of her lawyers, the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic overturned this sentence. This civil activist is scheduled to be tried again on 29 Azar. A gathering in Copenhagen, Denmark, in support of the six prisoners sentenced to death in the Ekbatani case. The sister of Sepehr Azimi, a killed protester: 'It has been two years since this great pain fell into our lives.' Lawyers express hope for the 'overturning of the initial ruling' against Pakhshan Azizi. Two political prisoners emphasize the non-partisan nature of the 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign. The National Council of Resistance of Iran calls for the rescue of six political prisoners sentenced to death.