Iranian Writers Association: Government's Treatment of Plaintiffs Reflects Desperation

The Iranian Writers Association, in a statement, described the Islamic Republic's actions towards the families of plaintiffs from the '98 and '1401 crackdowns and the 'increase in state killings under the guise of inhumane execution sentences' as further evidence of 'the government's fear and desperation in the face of the popular movement.' The association condemned the issuance of 'inhumane' death sentences 'for all defendants regardless of their charges or views' and called on all freedom-loving individuals to 'raise their voices against repression and executions.' In this statement, the Writers Association criticized the death sentences issued for Varisheh Moradi, a social worker and political activist, Pakhshan Azizi, a civil activist, and the defendants in the case known as 'Ekbatān Town.' Varisheh Moradi and Pakhshan Azizi face death sentences for 'rebellion,' while six defendants in the 'Ekbatān Town' case have also been sentenced to death by the judges of Branch 13 of Tehran's Criminal Court. The Writers Association, in this statement issued on Tuesday, November 28, pointed out that Varisheh Moradi and Pakhshan Azizi were deprived of a chosen lawyer and denied 'the possibility of effective defense during the trial,' calling their death sentences 'predetermined.' This professional body emphasized that 'the young defendants in the Ekbatān case were also condemned to inhumane death sentences in an unclear process, under conditions of lack of evidence, prevention of chosen lawyers from entering the case, and destruction of evidence that could prove the defendants' innocence, with direct intervention from security advisors.' Part of this statement reads: 'The government, through widespread repression and the use of tools such as executing death sentences, issuing heavy judicial sentences, creating deprivation of social rights, and disrupting the jobs and daily lives of women, youth, and other people suffering from injustice and oppression, demonstrates its decision to confront the growing wave of freedom-seeking and awakening of the people.' This organization, which advocates for freedom of expression and opposes censorship, also defended 'the right to seek justice and freedom of expression for the victims of the November 98 and 1401 movements' and called on 'all freedom-loving individuals to stand shoulder to shoulder with compatriots who have been oppressed in these events and subsequent judicial processes and raise their voices against repression and executions.' According to Amnesty International, the Islamic Republic is responsible for 74% of the world's executions in 2023. May Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, criticized the human rights situation and the increase in the number of executions in the Islamic Republic's prisons, calling for a reduction in the issuance of death sentences in Iran. Political prisoners in Evin: The issuance of death sentences is for settling accounts with the people. The Iran Human Rights Organization: At least 17 prisoners were executed last week. Issuance of death sentences for 6 detained protesters in the Ekbatān case. The 'No to Executions Tuesdays' campaign: More than 450 executions since the beginning of the new government.