After 20 days on hunger strike, Kurdish political activist Warisheh Moradi ended her protest on Tuesday from within Tehran’s Evin prison. A member of the Free Women’s Society of East Kurdistan (KJAR) and a vocal advocate for women’s rights, Moradi had initiated her strike in a plea against Iran’s executions, harsh prison conditions, and systemic injustices. Her decision to end the strike followed calls from human rights advocates and international organisations concerned for her deteriorating health.
In an open letter dated October 10, Moradi declared her indefinite hunger strike to condemn Iran’s escalating use of capital punishment. The letter outlined her concerns with Iran’s judicial framework and the inhumane conditions she endured in Evin prison. Her protest gained traction among activists, academics, and KJAR, who collectively highlighted the urgency of her demands as her health worsened. By the strike’s 16th day, civil activists launched a solidarity statement, pledging to begin their own hunger strikes from 26 October in support of Moradi’s cause. “Nothing should be more precious than human life,” they said. “We need her voice and presence throughout this resistance.”
In a public show of support, KJAR amplified Moradi’s plight on 25 October, calling for the immediate end of her strike due to her critical condition, which included severe blood pressure drops, dizziness, and extreme weight loss. KJAR further committed to a three-day hunger strike across several European countries, protesting Iran’s capital punishment practices and expressing solidarity with Moradi’s cause. This advocacy was bolstered by the Transnational Democratic Platform of Iranian Women, which also called for an end to Iran’s executions, launching a campaign in support of Moradi’s mission.
Sharife Zarini, the mother of executed political prisoner Ramin Hossein Panahi, personally appealed to Moradi to halt her strike, pledging to join the cause. Moradi’s protest spotlighted Iran’s dire prison conditions and stirred a wave of international support, mobilising activists from various fronts and renewing hopes for women’s and human rights reforms in Iran. Her decision to end the strike symbolises a powerful moment in the broader struggle for justice and women’s rights in the region.
