Two Human Rights Organizations Condemn Death Sentence for Sharifeh Mohammadi and Call for Global Intervention

Iran Human Rights Organization and Human Rights Campaign in Iran condemned the death sentence issued for Sharifeh Mohammadi, a imprisoned labor activist, by the Revolutionary Court of Rasht and called for international bodies to intervene against such rulings. The Iran Human Rights Organization stated in a statement on Tuesday, July 9, that Sharifeh Mohammadi was sentenced to death for her 'civil and peaceful activities' on charges of 'baghi' (rebellion). Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, the director of this organization, said: 'Sharifeh Mohammadi has been sentenced to death after months of solitary confinement and torture, without a fair trial in the Revolutionary Court. Besides being inhumane, this ruling has no legal legitimacy.' He emphasized that the issuance of a death sentence for a labor activist 'demonstrates the regime's terror of any form of labor activism' and called on the international community, especially labor organizations, including the International Labour Organization, to 'work to save Sharifeh Mohammadi's life and defend her legal rights.' Ms. Mohammadi, a labor activist imprisoned in Rasht Central Prison (Lakan), was sentenced to death on charges of 'baghi' just one day before the second round of government voting. According to Article 287 of the Islamic Penal Code, a 'baghi' is someone who engages in 'armed struggle' against 'the foundation of the Islamic Republic.' This ruling was issued based on the Ministry of Intelligence's accusation of Sharifeh Mohammadi's membership in 'Komala,' while both she and her husband, Sirous Fathi, have strongly denied this. The Coordination Committee to Help Establish Labor Organizations, which Sharifeh Mohammadi was a member of in the 1980s, has also rejected the charges against her. The 'Campaign to Defend Sharifeh Mohammadi' described such 'baseless and ridiculous accusations and fabrications' as a new method of the intelligence ministry to 'deal with independent labor and social activists' and noted that this labor activist has been tortured by the Ministry of Intelligence 'at least twice,' to the extent that it may have led to prison authorities protesting against her beating due to fears for her life. The Iran Human Rights Organization also pointed out that during her detention (December 2023 to January 2024), Sharifeh Mohammadi was subjected to severe psychological and physical pressures for 'coerced confession' and was deprived of the right to phone contact and visits with her family. The Human Rights Campaign in Iran also announced on Monday, July 8, that the death sentence issued by the Islamic Republic's judiciary based on fabricated charges against Sharifeh Mohammadi emphasizes the intensification of illegal state repression in Iran. Hadi Ghaemi, the director of this human rights organization, noted the timing of the death sentence for Ms. Mohammadi coinciding with government elections for the succession of Ebrahim Raisi, stating: 'The Islamic Republic does not intend to stop its state-sanctioned killing machine, which continues to be used to punish and silence peaceful dissenters.' He added that Sharifeh Mohammadi's case 'reflects what labor activists in Iran and any independent civil society member have faced for decades,' which signifies 'deadly repression against the demand for basic rights.' The Human Rights Campaign in Iran called on the global community to demand from the Iranian authorities the 'immediate cancellation of Sharifeh Mohammadi's death sentence' and the 'cessation of issuing and executing all death sentences in light of the systematic violations of basic rights and the lack of fair processes that prevail in the Islamic Republic's death penalty cases.' This human rights organization also urged the global community to demand that Iranian authorities 'adhere to their commitments under Iranian and international laws to respect peaceful dissent and independent labor activism.' Despite being a member of the International Labour Organization, Iran has not signed its conventions regarding independent organization rights, collective bargaining, and strikes. However, the Human Rights Campaign in Iran emphasized that Tehran is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which mandates freedom of association in Articles 21 and 22 and guarantees the right to form labor unions. According to this report, Iran has also signed the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which guarantees workers' rights to form or join labor unions and supports their right to strike. Nonetheless, the security and judicial institutions of the Islamic Republic have pursued actions against labor and guild activists as well as independent workers, retirees, and teachers' organizations in recent decades, and currently, many labor and guild activists are imprisoned on security charges. The Human Rights Campaign in Iran also noted that independent labor unions are not recognized, strikers are often dismissed and at risk of arrest, and labor leaders are prosecuted under national security charges and sentenced to long prison terms. Hadi Ghaemi stated: 'Sharifeh is the latest victim of the repressive system of the Islamic Republic, and the Ministry of Intelligence, the Revolutionary Guards, and the judiciary each have a specific and coordinated role in neutralizing any peaceful protest.' In recent days, many labor and guild organizations in Iran, along with several activists and human rights organizations worldwide, have condemned the death sentence for Sharifeh Mohammadi and called for her release.