Statement from Over 470 Cultural, Social, and Political Activists: Stop the Execution Machine

As protests escalate against the increase in the issuance and implementation of death sentences in the Islamic Republic, and following the sentencing of two female political prisoners to death, over 470 cultural, social, and political activists issued a statement urging the Iranian government to 'stop the execution machine.' This statement, published on the Telegram channel 'Iran Farda,' refers to what it calls the 'influence' of Israel in Iran, questioning: 'What justification could the concerns of the country's intelligence and security officials about pursuing and punishing internal critics and opponents possibly have?' The statement emphasizes that 'death sentences have been issued so easily and quickly over the past four decades, and the taking of life in the judicial courts has become so commonplace that it seems the passage of time has had no effect on the minds and hearts of those who sit on the throne of power and governance.' The signatories of the statement have called for an end to executions, especially for women on death row, including Sharifeh Mohammadi, a labor activist, and Pakhshan Aziz, a social worker. The statement also mentions Nasim Gholami-Simiari, a protester from the nationwide protests of 2021, and Vrisheh Moradi, a women's rights activist, who are both facing the death penalty. Among the signatories are Sediqeh Vosoughi, Abdolali Bazargan, Ashraf Boroujerdi, Mostafa Tajzadeh, Alireza Raji, Hashem Sabaghian, Keyvan Samimi, Abolfaadl Ghadiani, Fakhr al-Sadat Mohtashami-Pour, Badr al-Sadat Mofidi, Hamid Asefi, Hossein Akbari, Habibollah Peyman, Reza Tehrani, Mehrdad Hojjati, Sedra Abdollahi, Katayoun Golrokh, Nezam al-Din Qahari, Saideh Montazeri, and Abdollah Naseri-Taheri. In this context, the Iran Human Rights Campaign issued a statement on Thursday, August 2, pointing to the increase in death sentences issued by the Iranian judiciary for female political prisoners and considering many of the charges to be fabricated, calling on the international community to take a stand on this issue. The campaign's statement noted that death sentences have been issued for Pakhshan Aziz, a Kurdish civil activist and social worker, and Sharifeh Mohammadi, a labor activist, while Vrisheh Moradi, a Kurdish civil activist, and Nasim Gholami-Simiari, a detainee from the 'Women, Life, Freedom' uprising, also face charges of 'rebellion' that could lead to the death penalty. The wave of executions, arrests, and gross violations of human rights in Iran continues; the global condemnation of the French PEN Association called for the abolition of the death sentence for Pakhshan Aziz. Vida Rabani's letter from Evin: The gap between arrest and delivery of the accused to the judiciary can be filled with any violence. Political prisoners in Qezel Hesar emphasize the continuation of 'No to Execution Tuesdays'; 8 female prisoners in Rasht have joined the hunger strike. The Iranian judiciary has charged three protesting citizens in Boukan with 'corruption on earth' and 'waging war against God.' The Revolutionary Court prevented Pakhshan Aziz, a political prisoner sentenced to death, from meeting with her lawyers. The International Confederation of Trade Unions: The death sentence for Sharifeh Mohammadi must be revoked. The second session of the trial for 8 defendants charged with 'rebellion'; the Iran Human Rights Organization: The international community must respond to the death sentence for Pakhshan Aziz.