Hunger Strike of Political Prisoner Varisheh Moradi in Protest Against Uncertainty of Her Case

According to human rights media, Varisheh Moradi, a political prisoner accused of 'baghi' (rebellion), has gone on a hunger strike to protest the uncertainty surrounding her case. As reported by the websites Hrana and Hengaw, Ms. Moradi began her hunger strike on Thursday, October 11, citing her continued detention, deprivation of visits with her lawyer and family, and the increase in death sentences in Iran as reasons for her protest. Her hunger strike coincides with the World Day Against the Death Penalty. Ms. Moradi was arrested in August 2023 in the suburbs of Sanandaj and was charged with 'baghi' by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran in February of the same year. Her first court session was held on June 17, 2023, in Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati, regarding charges including 'baghi' and membership in an opposition group. The second court session, after months of delays, finally took place on October 6, leaving her in a state of uncertainty. In the laws of the Islamic Republic, the charge of 'baghi' is defined as 'armed rebellion against the regime' and can carry the death penalty for the accused. Last month, UN human rights experts warned about the significant increase in executions in Iran and called for an immediate halt to these sentences. According to these experts, the number of executions in Iran in August more than doubled compared to the previous month, reaching at least 93 individuals.