Iran Human Rights Campaign: 3 Political Prisoners at Serious Risk of Execution

On Friday, March 3, the Iran Human Rights Campaign criticized the judiciary of the Islamic Republic for reissuing a "ruthless" death sentence for Sharifeh Mohammadi, a labor activist imprisoned in Lakan Prison in Rasht. The human rights organization noted: "Currently, three political prisoners, Sharifeh Mohammadi, a labor activist; Pakhshan Azizi, a social worker activist; and Varisheh Moradi, a Kurdish political activist, are at serious risk of execution." Hadi Ghaemi, the director of the Iran Human Rights Campaign, announced that "there is not much time left to save the lives of Sharifeh Mohammadi, Pakhshan Azizi, and Varisheh Moradi," urging the international community to "act immediately and apply severe and effective pressure on the authorities of the Islamic Republic to demand an immediate halt to these unjust sentences." In this regard, the Iran Human Rights Campaign called on senior officials of the United Nations, including the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran and thematic rapporteurs, especially those on freedom of expression and extrajudicial and arbitrary executions, as well as senior officials of countries committed to human rights, to urgently contact the authorities of the Islamic Republic and demand the immediate cancellation of the death sentences for Sharifeh Mohammadi, Pakhshan Azizi, and Varisheh Moradi. The organization also requested that the Iranian government stop all judicial sentences against prisoners on death row, considering the "fundamental and systematic violation of fair trial standards and the disregard for legal procedures." The Iran Human Rights Campaign's demand in this call is that "given the repeated refusals and non-compliance of the authorities of the Islamic Republic to implement international standards and laws regarding the death penalty, all capital punishments (including execution and qisas) must be immediately suspended." The statement from this human rights organization noted that the renewed death sentence for Sharifeh Mohammadi was issued while the "Supreme Court" had previously annulled this sentence and referred it for reconsideration to another branch of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht. Ms. Mohammadi was arrested on December 5 of last year while returning home from work by agents of the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Intelligence in Rasht and was transferred from Lakan Prison in Rasht to Sanandaj Prison on January 29 of the same year. The Iran Human Rights Campaign wrote: "There, she was subjected to torture and various forms of mistreatment. Among other things, while blindfolded, she was repeatedly struck on the head and face to force her into 'coerced confession.' Throughout this time, Sharifeh Mohammadi was denied access to a lawyer or legal counsel." According to this report, after being transferred to solitary confinement in Sanandaj Prison, Sharifeh Mohammadi complained about the violent and illegal treatment by the agents of the Ministry of Intelligence detention center. However, no investigation was conducted in this regard, and four weeks later, against her will, under pressure, she was forced to drop her criminal complaint against her interrogator. After a while, she was returned to Lakan Prison and, like in the Sanandaj Ministry of Intelligence detention center, spent nearly two months in solitary confinement. The Iran Human Rights Campaign emphasized that "the security agents of the Islamic Republic subjected Sharifeh Mohammadi to pressure and torture during her detention and interrogation to obtain forced confessions" and added: "Ultimately, the Revolutionary Court in Rasht sentenced this labor activist to death in a completely unjust trial, disregarding the most basic standards of fair trial." According to this statement, the officials of Lakan Prison in Rasht "informed her of the renewed death sentence on the very day of her son Aydin's thirteenth birthday." A source close to Ms. Mohammadi told the Iran Human Rights Campaign: "Sharifeh had made a birthday cake for her son with very limited prison facilities in anticipation of seeing Aydin. The prison officials announced her renewed death sentence a few hours before the meeting. On that day, Sharifeh was dressed neatly and was very eager to see her child. Upon hearing the news, she was very affected, sad, and shocked, but ultimately overcame her grief and went to meet Aydin with a smile." Sharifeh Mohammadi, 45 years old, is an industrial design engineer. The first death sentence against this imprisoned labor activist was issued in the summer of this year by the Revolutionary Court in Rasht on charges of "baghi." In the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, "baghi" means "armed rebellion against the Islamic government." The campaign emphasized that Sharifeh Mohammadi was sentenced to death in a "completely unjust trial" and in this so-called court, her lawyer had only 10 minutes to defend her. The arrest and issuance of the death sentence for Ms. Mohammadi sparked widespread protests in Iran and around the world, and ultimately, the "Supreme Court" annulled the first court's ruling in October of this year and referred it for reconsideration to an equivalent branch of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht. This was while Ahmad Darvish-Ghatar, the presiding judge, is the son of the judge who issued the first ruling, namely Ahmad Darvish-Ghatar. According to the Iran Human Rights Campaign, Sharifeh Mohammadi "only attended the Revolutionary Court session via video conference, and her lawyers were still deprived of sufficient opportunity to effectively defend their client." The statement from this human rights organization indicates that the officials of the Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office initially labeled Sharifeh Mohammadi's charge as "propaganda against the Islamic Republic," but after a few days, they accused this labor activist of "baghi." Based on the information available in the case, Ms. Mohammadi's previous activities in the "Coordination Committee to Help Establish Labor Organizations," which is an independent labor organization operating within the law, were introduced as the reason for the charge of "baghi." The judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic also introduced Sharifeh Mohammadi as a member of the Kurdistan Komala Party for the charge of "baghi" and the issuance of the death sentence; an accusation for which no evidence has been provided, and at all stages of the trial, both she and her lawyers have rejected this baseless accusation. At the same time, this party has also denied her membership. The Coordination Committee to Help Establish Labor Organizations, of which Sharifeh Mohammadi was a member until 2011, also denied any affiliation with the Komala organization and emphasized that the activities of this organization are solely aimed at pursuing the labor rights of workers and striving to establish independent labor unions.