Iran Human Rights Organization: Pakhshan Azizi at Risk of Imminent Execution

On Thursday, February 7, the Iran Human Rights Organization warned that Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish civil activist sentenced to death in Evin Prison, is at imminent risk of execution following the rejection of her appeal for retrial. The organization described the issuance and confirmation of Azizi's death sentence as "part of the Islamic Republic's terror policy following the nationwide protests for women, life, freedom" and called on the international community to respond to the unprecedented increase in executions, particularly of women, last year, by stopping executions and immediately revoking the sentence of this political prisoner. Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, the director of the Iran Human Rights Organization, stated, "The reaffirmation of Pakhshan Azizi's death sentence, which has no legal basis, shows that the government sees no way forward except through more executions and repression." He emphasized that "the danger of executing Pakhshan is serious" and added, "Only by raising the political cost through public protests and international pressure can we prevent executions." The Iran Human Rights Organization noted that Azizi's request for retrial was rejected by the Supreme Court despite numerous flaws in her case. The organization cited Amir Raisian, one of Azizi's lawyers, on social media, pointing out that the judge in Branch 39 of the Supreme Court was unaware that her work was humanitarian and against ISIS when confirming her death sentence. According to the report, the judge mistakenly assumed that this political prisoner was a member of ISIS and based the death sentence on that assumption. Raisian also stated, "The contents of the appellate ruling indicate that haste in issuing the verdict led to the committee imposing its reading on our text, misidentifying Kajar as ISIS while our defenses were directed at the PJAK group." Meanwhile, the announcement of the rejection of Pakhshan Azizi's retrial and the danger of her execution has faced widespread criticism from social media users. Ladan Bazargan, a plaintiff against the execution of political prisoners in the 1980s, wrote on social media, "The Islamic Republic continues its brutal repression and has sentenced Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish woman, to death. This regime systematically targets women and ethnic groups to maintain its rule through terror and repression. We strongly condemn this unjust ruling and call on the international community to take immediate action to stop this execution. Pakhshan must not become another victim of this criminal regime!" Mohammad Karim Asayesh, a social and urban activist, wrote, "Pakhshan Azizi's life is in danger; we are all Pakhshan, we are all committed to the slogan of women, life, freedom, and we oppose ISIS." Kambiz Nourouz Zadeh, a civil and human rights activist, also wrote, "By rejecting Pakhshan Azizi's retrial, the Islamic Republic has once again shown its panic over executions, condemning a social worker who has committed no crime other than saving lives in the war-torn Middle East to death in an unjust judicial process; this ruling even mocks their own ineffective judicial system." According to the Campaign for the Freedom of Pakhshan Azizi, approximately 646,000 people have signed a letter to the head of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, demanding her release. The letter, published on the Avaz website, calls on Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei to "stop the execution of Pakhshan Azizi, revoke her conviction, and release her immediately and unconditionally." The letter also requests that he "halt all executions and abolish the death penalty in Iran." The published letter highlights Azizi's peaceful humanitarian and human rights activities, including support for women and children in Syrian refugee camps. Pakhshan Azizi was sentenced to death and four years in prison on August 23, 2024, by Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, presided over by Iman Afshari, on charges of "rebellion through membership in opposition groups." She was arrested on August 4, 2023, along with her father, sister, and sister's husband in Tehran. After about four months in solitary confinement at the Ministry of Intelligence detention center (Ward 209 of Evin Prison), she was transferred to the women's ward of the prison. According to the Iran Human Rights Organization, security officials accused her of being a member of groups that engage in armed activities against the Islamic Republic, but according to Pakhshan Azizi's lawyer, her humanitarian work "in northern Syria in the Shangal refugee camp and other camps for ISIS war refugees was peaceful and had no political dimension, focusing on providing aid against ISIS attacks." Pakhshan Azizi had previously been arrested in 2009 due to political activities and was released on bail after four months. The United States had previously called for the cancellation of Pakhshan Azizi's death sentence. A group of United Nations experts also expressed deep concern on January 15, 2024, over the confirmation of Pakhshan Azizi's death sentence by the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to the United Nations Human Rights Council website, they wrote, "The charges against Ms. Pakhshan Azizi do not meet the threshold of the most serious crimes required for the death penalty under international law" and emphasized that "her death sentence constitutes a serious violation of international human rights law." The confirmation of Pakhshan Azizi's death sentence has faced widespread domestic and international criticism. The United States, dozens of human rights organizations, political prisoners, Amnesty International, and a group of United Nations experts are among those protesting this ruling. In this context, the Kurdish cities of Iran witnessed a widespread strike by merchants and markets on January 22 in protest against the death sentences issued for Pakhshan Azizi and another civil activist, Vrisheh Moradi. The call for this strike was issued by Kurdish parties. A day after this general strike, the government-affiliated Tasnim news agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, claimed that the execution of Pakhshan Azizi had been postponed.