Political Female Prisoners of Evin: Issuing Death Sentences is a Reckoning with the People

A number of political prisoners in the women's ward of Evin prison condemned the death sentence of Vrisheh Moradi, a political prisoner, and called for the cancellation of all death sentences in Iranian prisons. They urged the public and civil, political, and human rights activists to show an 'active response' to prevent the Islamic Republic from sacrificing lives in a 'reckoning with the freedom-seeking and equality-demanding movement of the Iranian people.' This statement, attributed to Golrokh Iraee, a political prisoner held in Evin prison, described Moradi's death sentence as 'unjust' and emphasized that it was issued after 'fabrication by security agencies and in the absence of sufficient and substantiated evidence,' following 15 months of severe psychological and physical torture and solely based on 'the judge's knowledge.' The political prisoners also referenced the death sentences of two other female political activists, Pakhshan Azizi and Sharifeh Mohammadi, stating that currently more than 42 political prisoners are at risk of execution under 'inhumane' sentences. The UN fact-finding committee expressed concern about the issuance of death sentences against female civil activists, including Vrisheh Moradi, on charges of rebellion. Moradi was arrested on July 31, 2023, in the suburbs of Sanandaj and transferred to the women's ward of Evin prison on December 26 of the same year after completing interrogation at the Ministry of Intelligence's detention center known as Ward 209. The first court session regarding the charges against this political prisoner was held on June 17 of this year in Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Salavati, where she was accused of membership in an opposition group called 'Kajar' and charged with rebellion. Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported that, under the orders of security agencies and Evin prison officials, she has been deprived of access to medical services. Following the widespread protests of 'Women, Life, Freedom,' the Islamic Republic has intensified its crackdown on female activists and imprisoned women. Last October, several UN experts, coinciding with the World Day Against the Death Penalty, noted that over 400 executions had been carried out in Iran this year, asserting that the Islamic Republic's issuance of death sentences against female activists aims to suppress the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement. Amnesty International stated that the Islamic Republic is responsible for 74% of the world's executions in 2023. UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, May Sato, criticized the human rights situation and the increase in the number of executions in Iranian prisons, calling for a reduction in the issuance of death sentences in Iran.