Human Rights Organization Report on Conditions of Political Prisoners Sentenced to Death

On Friday, December 14, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network published a special report regarding the situation of 11 political prisoners sentenced to death and 8 others at risk of receiving death sentences. It stated that several of them, who were arrested during the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests, are facing "inhumane death sentences" under "unjust conditions, including deprivation of appointed lawyers, severe physical and psychological torture, and unfair trials." This human rights organization added that the families of these prisoners and human rights organizations have warned about the critical situation of these individuals, the risk of confirmation of death sentences, and the danger of execution of issued sentences, calling for the cancellation of these sentences and immediate attention to their critical conditions. According to the report, "6 Kurdish political prisoners named Pakhshan Azizi, Varishe Moradi, Hatam Ozdamir, Youssef Ahmadi, Mehrab Abdollazadeh, and Hamid Hosseinzadeh Heydaraloo," who were previously sentenced to death by the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, Urmia, and Sanandaj on charges of "Baghi" and "Moharebeh," are currently imprisoned in the central prisons of Urmia, Sanandaj, and Evin. The network added that the cases of Pakhshan Azizi, Varishe Moradi, Mehrab Abdollazadeh, and Hamid Hosseinzadeh Heydaraloo have been referred to the Supreme Court after appealing the sentences and are awaiting reconsideration. However, the death sentences of Hatam Ozdamir and Youssef Ahmadi have been confirmed by the Supreme Court, and the risk of their execution is serious. The report also mentions that "5 other Kurdish citizens named Shahin Vassaf, Azad Shojaei, Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul, Adres Ali, and Nasser Bakherzadeh" have been sentenced to death by the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Urmia on charges of "spying for Israel" and are currently in Urmia Central Prison. Their cases are under special review in the Supreme Court. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network states that "at least 8 other Kurdish citizens and activists" named "Ali Ghasemi, Pejman Soltani, Kaveh Salehi, Rozgar Bigzadeh Babamiri, Javanmard Mamkhosravi, Mohammad Faraji, Raouf Sheikh Maroufi, and Soleiman Adhami," most of whom were arrested during protests against the killing of Mahsa Amini while in custody of the morality police, are currently in the central prisons of Urmia and Boukan. They are facing serious charges of "Baghi," "Efsad fil-Arz," and "Moharebeh," which has raised serious concerns about the possibility of death sentences for them. Hundreds of civil and labor activists have called for the immediate cancellation of Pakhshan Azizi's death sentence.