Thousands of women marched in Qamishli (Qamişlo), North and East Syria, on Wednesday, to protest against the death sentence handed down by the Iranian regime to Kurdish women’s rights activist Warisheh Moradi on 10 November.
Kongra Star Spokeswoman Rîhan Loqo delivered a speech at the march, stressing that “the Iranian regime cannot break the will of free women or destroy their cause”. She claimed that the Iranian regime is using death sentences and executions as a political weapon against those who took a leading role in the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ (Woman, Life, Freedom) uprising, which was sparked by the murder of Kurdish woman Jîna Amini in October 2022.
Loqo also condemned the “silence of international human rights, children’s and women’s rights organisations” and called on them to act against the execution of women activists in Iran. After her speech, a gallows rope was burnt as a symbolic act against executions in Iran.
The women participating in the march also condemned the death sentence against Kurdish journalist Pakhshan Azizi and said that “the women’s revolution of Rojava [North and East Syria] stands behind the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ uprising in Rojhilat [Iranian Kurdistan] and Iran and will not leave it alone”. They also exclaimed their support for the “No to Execution, Yes to Free Life” campaign, which is an initiative opposing the death penalty and supporting the right to life in Iran.
The death sentence handed down to Kurdish women’s rights activist Warisheh Moradi has sparked massive protests around the world. From Iran to Turkey to Europe, the Kurdish diaspora and international activists have taken to the streets to protest against the death sentence handed down to Moradi after an unfair trial in which she and her lawyers were excluded from several court sessions.
