As protests continue against the death sentence imposed by Iran on Kurdish women’s socio-political activist Pakhshan Azizi, the Centre for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) and 25 other human rights organisations have issued a joint statement demanding the immediate revocation of her sentence and her unconditional release.
“Issuing the death sentece to Pakshan Azizi is not just a threat to the life of a civil and social activist, it is also a clear and unlawful attempt by the Iranian government to retaliate against supporters of the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ (Women, Life, Freedom) uprising, suppress peaceful dissent, and continue the systematic violation of women’s rights in Iran,” the organisations stated.
The signatories went onto express their deep concern and strong objection to the treatment of all political prisoners in the Islamic Republic of Iran:
“We strongly condemn the issue of the Iranian judiciary’s death sentence for Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish woman activist and social aid worker. This sentence is not only a blatant violation of human rights principles and standards, as well as international conventions and treaties, but also a clear manifestation of the systematic repression of freedom of expression and the right to life in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Underscoring the violence Azizi has been subjected to at the hands of Iran’s security forces, the human rights organisations highlighted months in solitary confinement without family contact or legal representation—conditions aimed at extracting forced confessions and fabricating charges against her. As a result, the organisations asserted that such a process can never deliver justice.
The human rights groups urgently appealled to the international community—the United Nations, governments worldwide, and fellow human rights groups—to take immediate and decisive action against the unjust death sentence handed to Kurdish activist Azizi by the Iranian judiciary:
“The global community should use all legal, political, and diplomatic mechanisms and capacities to prevent the issuance and execution of such inhumane sentences by Iran’s judiciary.”
The undersigned human rights organisations, condemning death sentences in Iran as unjust and discriminatory, emphasised reiterated the urgent need for international solidarity and decisive action to combat the systemic repression and illegal punishments imposed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, and abolish the sentences.
Kurdish activist Azizi was detained in Tehran in August 2023. Following months of torture, repeated interrogations, and months of solitary confinement, she was sentenced to death on charges of armed rebellion and alleged association with the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK). Alongside her lawyers‘ appeal against the sentence, numerous international campaigns have been launched calling for the unconditional release of Azizi.
