In Defense of Pakhshaan Azizi’s Right to Life
We, at the Solidarity with the Iranian Workers’ Movement, have learned with deep concern that Iran’s Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence against Ms. Pakhshaan Azizi, an Iranian Kurdish women’s rights activist and social worker, based on a charge of “baghy” (armed rebellion against an Islamic state) as determined by the Evin Prison court.
Ms. Azizi, as detailed in a report by Amnesty International, is a trained social worker who traveled to northeastern Syria to provide essential humanitarian aid to women and children. Her selfless service to displaced individuals in Syria and Iraq is a testament to her compassion and dedication. In civilized societies such humanitarian work is not only deserving of praise and recognition but is also protected under international law.
According to Amnesty International,
‘Agents had transferred her to section 209 of Tehran’s Evin prison, which is under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence, and held her in prolonged solitary confinement for five months without access to a lawyer and her family. According to informed sources, during this time Pakhshan Azizi was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment during interrogations. Agents repeatedly told her that she had no right to live and threatened to execute her. They also subjected her to gender-based violence in order to compel her to make forced “confessions” of having ties to Kurdish opposition groups, which she repeatedly denied. In early December 2023, she was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin prison.’ (30 September 2024 – https://www.amnesty.org.uk/files/2024-10/UA08724.pdf?VersionId=2h.E572W8ccOQ8AyDmjM2EPbFQGGH5Lf)
In view of the above, we demand:
1- The abolition of the cruel punishment of execution, a state-sanctioned murder, in general, and the immediate overturn of the death sentence imposed on Pakhshaan Azizi, in particular.
2- Pakhshaan Azizi’s right to legal counsel and the provision of legal representation.
3- The right of Pakhshaan Azizi to have family visits, a universally recognized human right.
4- The immediate and unconditional release of Pakhshaan Azizi, this women’s and children’s rights activist and social worker who has committed no “crime” other than serving humanity during the darkest period when the terrorist group ISIS had cast its dreadful shadow over the region.
We call upon the international community to condemn this unjust verdict and demand the immediate release of Ms. Pakhshaan Azizi. We urge all human rights organizations and governments to intervene and prevent this tragic execution.
SWIW Committee
15th January 2025
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