Narges Mohammadi: Political-Ideological Prisoners in Evin Prison Will Gather in the Yard Until Sunday Morning

Narges Mohammadi's Instagram page, the imprisoned human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, reported on Saturday, August 6, that political-ideological women prisoners in Evin Prison announced that starting from 7 PM on the same day, "in continuation of protests against the death sentence of Pakhshan Azizi," they would gather in the prison yard until Sunday morning, August 7, and would not return to their cells. So far, there has been no news regarding this gathering and the possible reaction of Evin Prison officials to this protest movement by the political-ideological women prisoners. On Wednesday, August 3, Ms. Mohammadi's Instagram page also reported that the political-ideological women prisoners in Evin had "raised their voices against the death sentence of Pakhshan Azizi in a collective presence in the prison yard." According to this page, they had declared, "We will not return to our cells and will spend the night in the prison yard." Additionally, see: Protests by some women prisoners in Evin against the death sentence of Pakhshan Azizi: We will stay in the prison yard. Following this announcement, the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic did not respond. Ms. Mohammadi's Instagram page on Saturday also quoted the political-ideological women prisoners in Evin as calling on "everyone" to "join us in the slogan 'No to Execution'" and emphasized that "we stand until the death sentence is revoked." Ms. Mohammadi's account on the social media platform 'X' also published news of the gathering of political-ideological prisoners in Evin. The announcement of the death sentence for Pakhshan Azizi, born in Mahabad, who had previously been accused of 'baghi', has led to widespread protests from social media users and human rights organizations. This is the second death sentence issued for female political prisoners in Iran in recent weeks. Previously, Sharifeh Mohammadi, a labor activist imprisoned in Lakan prison in Rasht, was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of that city on charges of baghi. According to reports, agents of the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Intelligence arrested Pakhshan Azizi in the Kharazi neighborhood of Tehran on August 4, 2023, and subjected her to interrogation and torture in the intelligence detention center. She was then transferred to Ward 209 and subsequently to the women's ward of Evin Prison. The 5th branch of the Evin Security Prosecutor's Office accused her in the winter of 2023 of 'baghi through membership in opposing groups' of the regime. This political prisoner appeared on June 8 and 27 of this year for the consideration of the charge of 'baghi' in the 26th branch of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. Pakhshan Azizi had previously recounted her account of how she was arrested and tortured by security agencies in a letter titled 'Concealment of Truth and Its Alternative', which was received by Hengaw and published on July 22, two days before the announcement of her death sentence. She wrote that she was repeatedly subjected to hanging during interrogations, was taken 10 meters deep into the ground and brought back out, and was portrayed as a socially defeated and broken individual. Ms. Azizi has a history of previous arrests. She was first arrested in November 2009 during a student protest against political executions and was released on bail of 100 million tomans on March 18 of the same year. She has always faced the charge of 'membership in opposing groups of the regime', a charge she has consistently denied. The security and judicial apparatus of the Islamic Republic typically levies heavy security charges against detained activists, resulting in severe sentences against them. This practice has drawn severe criticism from human rights organizations worldwide. The second court session for 8 defendants accused of 'baghi'; Iran Human Rights Organization: The international community should react to the death sentence of Pakhshan Azizi. An informed source: Pakhshan Azizi, the sentenced prisoner, has denied her charges. User reactions to the death sentence for Pakhshan Azizi: They are taking revenge on female activists in the most brutal way. Political prisoners in Qazalhasar prison have also joined protests against the 'wave of executions'.