Help us to stop the executions in Iran
Executions have sharply increased in recent weeks, with 36 carried out within a 24-hour period earlier this month. On August 9, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk released a statement expressing deep concern over the “alarmingly high number of executions in such a short period of time.” He also voiced worries about the “lack of due process and fair trial standards in many of these cases.”
A recent verdict issued by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, sentenced Varisha Moradi to death on the charge of “rebellion.” The sentence was formally communicated to her defense attorneys on the morning of Sunday, the 10th of November 2024.
Varisha Moradi was arrested by security forces on July 31, 2023, in the suburbs of Sanandaj.
It is reported that her trial sessions were held on 16th of June and 6th of October 2024, with the death sentence issued and conveyed to her lawyers on Sunday, the 10th of November 2024. During the court sessions, Varisha was denied the right to defend herself, and Judge Salavati barred her lawyers from defending her.
Pakhshan Azizi, a 39-year-old Kurdish women’s rights activist from Mahabad, has been a dedicated advocate for gender justice. With a degree in social work from Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran, she volunteered as a social worker before being arrested in August 2023 at her parents’ home in Tehran’s Kharrazi neighborhood.
After nearly a year in temporary detention, Azizi was recently sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, under Judge Iman Afshari, to death and four years in prison. She was convicted of “rebellion,” a broad charge that encompasses various forms of political dissent.
Heartbreaking reports have surfaced that Fahimeh Karimi, a devoted volleyball coach and mother of three, has been sentenced to death by the Iranian courts. According to our information, Ms. Karimi was arrested during a protest in Pakdasht, where she was accused of leading the demonstration. She now faces death sentence, charged with instigating civil unrest and allegedly kicking a member of the paramilitary Basij. The severity of her sentence has sent shock waves.
Reza (Gholamreza) Rasaei, an Iranian Kurdish protester, was executed on the 6th of August 2024 in connection to the nationwide protests in Iran that took place in September 2022. After an egregiously unjust trial, on October 7, 2023, Branch Two of Criminal Court 1 in Kermanshah province found him guilty of “murder” and handed down a death sentence, relying on coerced “confessions” tainted by torture as “evidence.”
Reza’s life was taken by the brutal regime in Iran. We must not allow this to continue.
Unfortunately, the regime’s prisons have turned into sites of mass killings. Since the war in Gaza, more than 440 people have been executed.
On the morning of Thursday, April 11, 2024, the death sentence of 19-year-old Marjan Hajizadeh and her 29-year-old husband, Esmail Hassaniani, was carried out in Zanjan Central Prison.
Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeed Yaqoubi were executed on Friday morning the 19th of May for taking part in protests
In recent months, Iran has witnessed a distressing surge in executions, raising serious concerns about human rights violations in the country. The systematic use of capital punishment has resulted in the loss of numerous lives, leaving families devastated and the international community deeply alarmed.
In May 2023 alone, more than 147 individuals were executed in Iran, marking a shocking escalation in state-sanctioned killings. These executions have not been limited to specific demographics but have affected men, women, and even young adults.
The arbitrary nature of the death sentences is particularly disconcerting, as it denies individuals their fundamental rights to due process and a fair trial. It’s obvious that the regime is trying to instil fear in the society.
Before that, the Iranian regime executed four young men (pictured on the left) who were detained during their involvement in recent protests ignited by the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody. These individuals endured torture and coercion, and were subsequently subjected to highly unjust show trials. The lack of robust condemnation means that this tragic death toll will escalate, as there are currently numerous individuals facing imminent execution as well.
The continuous practice of transferring death row inmates to solitary cells for the purpose of carrying out their sentences persists. In a recent occurrence on Friday, Parvin Mousavi, a female prisoner, along with two others, was moved to solitary cells in Urmia Prison. Likewise, on Tuesday, three prisoners were relocated to solitary confinement in Shiraz Prison. There have been reports indicating that the judiciary of the regime has recently provided Kerman Prison with a list of 50 death row prisoners for the execution of their sentences.
The Iranian regime’s willingness to commit such abhorrent crimes is unmistakable. The absence of any significant response from the international community in the face of the increasing number of executions acts as a motivation for this regime to continue perpetrating crimes against humanity.
In a remarkable feat of tireless campaigning, advocates and human rights organisations have successfully persuaded the British Foreign Office to take decisive action regarding Iran. On 6th of July 2023, the UK Foreign Office issued a highly anticipated press release, unveiling plans for a robust new sanctions regime aimed at holding Iran accountable for its actions. This significant development comes as a direct result of relentless efforts by activists, who have tirelessly campaigned for justice and transparency. Their unwavering dedication has played a pivotal role in shaping international discourse surrounding Iran and has ultimately led to this impactful outcome.
What we do
- Organizing meetings, demonstrations, events and grand gatherings to echo the voice of the prisoners of conscience.
- Gathering information on prisoners of conscience, their suffering in prisons as well as details about their condition.
- Exposing the regime’s crimes and atrocities through publications, satellite broadcast and social media.
- Letter writing campaigns.
- Petition campaigns
Help end the danger in the middle east, and stop the suffering