Protests by Women Prisoners in Evin Against Death Sentence of Pakhshan Azizi: We Will Stay in the Prison Yard

On Wednesday, August 3, the Instagram page of Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate imprisoned, reported that political and ideological women prisoners in Evin prison "raised their voices against the death sentence issued for Pakhshan Azizi by gathering in the prison yard." According to this page, they announced, "We will not return to our cell and will stay overnight in the prison yard." At the same time, a page attributed to Golrokh Iraee, a political prisoner, reported on the social media platform 'X' that political and ideological women prisoners in Evin prison are demanding the cancellation of the death sentence for Pakhshan Azizi, a civil rights activist. This page stated, "The women of Evin prison unanimously declare: We demand the cancellation of Pakhshan Azizi's death sentence and call on all people to join us in solidarity with political and ideological women prisoners." The announcement of the death sentence for Pakhshan Azizi, born in Mahabad, who had previously been accused of 'baghi' (rebellion), 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 Islamic Revolutionary Court of that city on charges of baghi. Additionally, reports indicate that agents of the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Intelligence arrested Pakhshan Azizi on August 4, 2023, in Kharazi Town, Tehran, where she was interrogated and tortured in an 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 opposition groups.' This political prisoner appeared in the 26th branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran on June 8 and 27 of this year to address the charge of 'baghi.' Pakhshan Azizi had previously recounted her arrest and torture by security agencies in a letter titled 'Concealment of Truth and Its Alternative,' which was received by Hengaw and published on July 31, just two days before the announcement of her death sentence. She wrote that she was repeatedly subjected to hanging during interrogation, was taken 10 meters deep into the ground and brought back out, and was portrayed as socially defeated and broken. Ms. Azizi has a history of arrest from years ago. 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 28 of that year. She has always faced accusations of 'membership in opposition groups,' which she has consistently denied. The security and judicial apparatus of the Islamic Republic typically imposes heavy security charges on detained activists, resulting in severe sentences against them. This practice has drawn severe criticism from human rights organizations worldwide. The condemnation of the second female political prisoner to death; 'Pakhshan Azizi' had previously been accused of 'baghi.' The Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported that Pakhshan Azizi, a political prisoner in Evin, is deprived of the right to contact and visit her family. Human Rights Watch has called for the 'immediate release' of Sharifeh Mohammadi. The condemnation of the death sentence for Sharifeh Mohammadi continues from organizations in Iran.