Iranian Writers Association: Death Sentences Must Be Abolished

The Iranian Writers Association issued a statement on Saturday calling for the abolition of death sentences issued by the judiciary of the Islamic Republic and the release of all those imprisoned for political activities or expressing opinions. This organization announced its demand for the cancellation of the death sentences of Reza Rasayi, Mojahid Korkor, Mohsen Mazloom, Mohammad Faramarzi, Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azarbar, and other death sentences, stating: "They are political prisoners and should not have been arrested in the first place, as the right to protest, the right to political activity, and the right to freedom of expression are fundamental and primary rights of every human being." The Iranian Writers Association emphasized that the increase in the number of executions following the protests over the death of Mahsa Amini in custody last year does not compensate for or cover up the political, economic, social, cultural, and ideological failures of the rulers. The organization added that executions are "no longer a reliable support for their permanence, as they do not achieve the goal of instilling fear among the people." The statement continued: "When people's lives are filled with misery and death, they have nothing left to lose and therefore nothing to fear." The Iranian Writers Association stated that "in this land, every execution is political, even when ordinary criminals are hanged," adding: "They want to lock the tongues in silence and bind the hands and feet in servitude; this kind of taking life from individuals is intertwined with the deprivation of the right to protest and the right to freedom of expression of the people." The association also wrote that among people who have become disgusted and repulsed by the abundance of death sentences and their execution over several decades, one cannot maneuver 'justice' by taking human lives 'legally.' On the contrary, criminalizing the death penalty is an important step towards judicial justice and a fundamental step in humanizing society." The statement emphasized that "there must be a final point to the issuance of death sentences, and this will only happen through the efforts of the protesting and anti-death penalty people." Recently, news about the issuance of death sentences for Reza Rasayi, Mojahid Korkor, Mohsen Mazloom, Mohammad Faramarzi, Pejman Fatehi, and Vafa Azarbar has sparked widespread criticism in Iran and around the world. Furthermore, in November of this year, Javid Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, presented a report on the human rights situation in Iran to the General Assembly and its Third Committee, stating that this report depicts the "bitter reality" of the human rights situation in Iran. He also called the increase in executions "concerning," noting that "at least 582 people were executed in 2022, with over 256 cases related to drug offenses, which is significantly higher compared to 2021."