Execution of Four Kurdish Political Prisoners at Dawn on Monday in Tehran

Despite widespread international protests, Iranian news agencies reported on Monday, February 9, that the death sentences of Pejman Fatahi, Mohammad Farahmrazi, Vafa Azarbar, and Mohsen Mazloom, four Kurdish political prisoners, were carried out in Qazalhesar Prison in Karaj. These four individuals were members of the Komala Party of Kurdistan, arrested last year in Urmia and accused of 'spying for Israel,' an accusation they strongly denied. Their lawyer also protested the 'unfair trial process' regarding these charges. Reports indicate that these four Iranian citizens had been deprived of family visits since their arrest in August 2022. The families of these political prisoners met with them in Evin Prison on February 8 after 19 months of being uninformed and were told that this would be their last visit. On Sunday afternoon, these prisoners were transferred from Evin to Qazalhesar Prison, where their death sentences were executed. Human rights organizations reported on January 16, 2024, that the Supreme Court had confirmed the death sentences of Mohsen Mazloom, Mohammad (Hejir) Farahmrazi, Vafa Azarbar, and Pejman Fatahi 'in complete media silence.' The campaign defending the four political prisoners warned on Saturday, February 7, of the 'imminent danger of execution' for Pejman Fatahi, Mohammad Farahmrazi, Vafa Azarbar, and Mohsen Mazloom, calling for 'immediate and effective' action from human rights organizations and international bodies. Simultaneously, Joanna Timisi, the wife of Mohsen Mazloom, wrote in a message on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter): 'Over these 19 months, I have pursued all human rights avenues, the global community, and ultimately a hunger strike, but received no response.' Previously, the wife of Mohsen Mazloom had told Voice of America that the families of political prisoners should inform Nada Al-Nashif, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations, about human rights violations in Iran. Amnesty International and eighteen other human rights organizations have warned in recent weeks about the 'imminent danger of execution' for these four prisoners, urging the global community to take immediate action to prevent these executions. Mahmoud Amiri Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights, wrote on X just hours before the announcement of the execution of these four Kurdish political prisoners: 'From the beginning of the new Gregorian year until yesterday (in 27 days), the Islamic Republic has executed at least 58 people; today this number has reached 59, and if we cannot raise the cost of executing these four Kurdish political prisoners through our protests, by tomorrow this number may reach 63. Remember their photos and names.' Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, previously stated on Wednesday, February 4, to Voice of America that none of the aspects of the political system in the Islamic Republic of Iran are democratic or transparent, including the management, judicial, and electoral sectors. According to him, the world has been aware of this reality for some time.