Families and Lawyers of Four Kurdish Prisoners Gather Outside Evin Prison; Demand for Abolishment of Death Sentences and Public Trials

Today, Sunday, mothers and families of four Kurdish political prisoners named Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azarbar, Mohsen Mazloom, and Mohammad Faramarzi, along with their lawyers, gathered in front of the visitation building of Evin Prison in Tehran. The families of these political prisoners are demanding the halt of death sentences, the holding of public trials, and the guarantee of visitation rights with their children. According to informed sources, no response has been given to their demands so far. Yesterday, 18 human rights organizations issued a joint statement calling for the abolishment of the death sentences for these prisoners. According to this statement, signed by a coalition of human rights groups including the 'Impact Iran' coalition, the Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation, the Iran Human Rights Organization, and several organizations advocating for the rights of ethnic minorities, Messrs. Mazloom, Fatehi, Azarbar, and Faramarzi have not had the right to contact the outside world since their detention and were 'tortured for coerced confessions that were broadcast on Iranian state television.' These 18 human rights organizations further described the trials of these four Kurdish political prisoners at the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran as 'severely violating the principles of fair trial and judicial processes according to international standards.' Also see: Statement from 18 human rights organizations: The international community must prevent the execution of four political prisoners in Iran. Zhila Mostajer, a board member of Hengaw, commented on this statement to Voice of America, saying: 'Unfortunately, what is clear is that the Islamic Republic places no value on the dignity and lives of people, and we witness daily the establishment of more gallows, medieval torture, and the killing of more lives and the imprisonment of innocent people by the Islamic Republic.' This board member of Hengaw pointed out that they have requested from the United Nations to at least raise the political costs of executions by the Islamic Republic through its mechanisms and for everyone to voice 'no to executions.' The signatory organizations of this statement warned that 'given the hasty confirmation of the death penalty for these four individuals amid a campaign of repression against dissenters and intimidation of Iranian society through increased executions, the risk of immediate execution threatens their lives.' The statement emphasized that 'international condemnation in cases where individuals are at risk of execution, if accompanied by active diplomatic actions and firm steps to hold the Iranian government accountable, will no longer be merely symbolic.' These human rights organizations consider 'these actions' as 'powerful tools in preventing executions and saving lives in Iran.' The judicial system of the Islamic Republic has sentenced Mohsen Mazloom, Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azarbar, and Hejir Faramarzi to death on political and security charges. The Iranian Writers' Association: Death sentences must be revoked. The wife of Mohsen Mazloom, one of the four political prisoners: Do not let them be hanged. The United States condemned the issuance of death sentences for the four political prisoners.