Exclusive: Families of Victims Demand IRGC Be Listed as Terrorist Organization

A number of families seeking justice and victims of the recent protests met with the head of the German Human Rights Commission, calling for action against the increasing executions by the Islamic Republic and for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be placed on the list of terrorist organizations. Maria Mahmoudi and Bayan Azimi, wives of two Kurdish political prisoners executed by the Islamic Republic, Koustar Otaghri, a victim of the protests last year, and Behrouz Asadi, a human rights activist, emphasized the need to prevent executions in Iran and to work towards the release of political prisoners during their meeting with Luis Ametsberg, head of the German Human Rights Commission. Behrouz Asadi told Voice of America: "The secret burial of four Kurdish political prisoners without their families' knowledge, the review process of Abbas Daris's case, a political prisoner at risk of execution, the lack of fair trials for other prisoners, statistics on victims of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement, the existence of sexual and gender apartheid in Iran, and the importance of upholding the rights of religious minorities such as Baha'is and ethnic minorities, as well as the comprehensive pressures of the Islamic Republic" were discussed in this meeting. According to this human rights activist, the multiple policies of the European Union and Germany and the double standards regarding the activities of lobbyists for the Islamic regime and the issue of sanctions against the IRGC were other political issues raised during the meeting. Mr. Asadi pointed out the role of the IRGC in the assassination and suppression of the Iranian people, stating: "The names of individuals and companies sanctioned in relation to the IRGC and the suppression of the Iranian people should be publicly disclosed, and the names of individuals at risk of execution in Iran should be provided to the German Foreign Ministry, with immediate actions taken to halt the implementation of these sentences." Recently, several members of the German Parliament (Bundestag) also emphasized the need to pressure the Islamic Republic to stop executions in Iran during their meeting with Bayan Azimi and Maria Mahmoudi, the wives of two Kurdish political prisoners who were executed on January 29. The meeting of the wives of four executed Kurdish prisoners with German diplomats; explanation by Maria Mahmoudi. The annual report on executions in Iran; Kambiz Ghafouri: Global attention must be raised. Report by Iran Human Rights Organization: The Islamic Republic ranks first in the execution of women among countries worldwide. The sixteenth annual report on the death penalty in Iran; the Islamic Republic ranks first in the execution of women in the world.