In 2024, Iran executed at least 930 individuals, the majority for charges that failed to meet the threshold of “most serious crimes” required under international law.
Furthermore, given the systemic lack of fair and transparent trials within the Iranian judiciary, even executions for crimes that may meet this threshold constitute arbitrary deprivations of life, in clear violation of international human rights standards. Currently, 54 political and security prisoners in Iran face the death penalty, including two women. One of these women is being persecuted for her humanitarian work in refugee camps, where she supported individuals forcibly displaced by the Islamic State. These cases underscore the urgent need for robust international action to hold Iran accountable for its widespread and unlawful use of capital punishment as a tool of repression.
Pakhshan Azizi, a female resident of Mahabad, was arrested on August 4, 2023, and detained in Tehran’s Evin Prison under harsh conditions. Accused of “Baghi” through alleged membership in opposition groups, she was sentenced to death and four years of imprisonment by the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, sanctioned by the United Kingdom and Canada for his role in serious human rights violations, particularly for violations for the right to a fair trial and the right to freedom of expression of political protesters. Judge Afshari also sentenced three of Azizi’s family members to one year in prison for the charge of “assisting a criminal to evade trial and conviction’. They were initially arrested alongside Azizi but were released on bail.
The Supreme Court has recently upheld the sentence imposed by Afshari, raising urgent concerns about the imminent threat to Azizi’s life.
Her lawyers have highlighted that the evidence presented to the Supreme Court demonstrated that she had had no involvement in military activities. Further, Ms. Azizi has been solely engaged in humanitarian efforts, providing services to vulnerable women and children, namely to those directly impacted by the Islamic State in Sinjar. Numerous pieces of evidence support Ms. Azizi’s claim that she has worked in refugee camps housing displaced Yazidis in Syria. Certification Letter from the Kurdish Red Crescent and Shams Rehabilitation Organisation detail her service caring for women and children survivors of conflict. These letters confirm her volunteer role at multiple camps including Al-Hol and Nowruz. Numerous pieces of evidence supporting Ms. Azizi’s humanitarian activities have been presented. Her lawyers have expressed concern over the rushed handling of the case and called for a thorough and fair review of the evidence.
HRA highlights that the use of capital punishment in cases like Ms. Azizi’s is part of a broader strategy by Iranian authorities Ms. Azizi has faced prolonged detention, denial of legal representation. This is not her first encounter with state repression; she was previously detained in 2009.
HRA is closely monitoring Ms. Azizi’s case alongside the 53 other individuals facing the death penalty, including Varisheh Moradi, another woman currently detained in Evin Prison.
The international community must unequivocally condemn the use of the death penalty. Governments, human rights organizations, and global institutions should urgently call on Iranian authorities to commute Ms. Azizi’s sentence, ensure her access to a fair trial, and halt the executions of other political prisoners in Iran.
International organizations and donors involved in humanitarian relief efforts in Syria, in particular, should urgently speak out against Ms. Azizi’s death sentence. As a dedicated aid worker who has contributed to humanitarian efforts, her commitment to alleviating human suffering underscores the injustice of this cruel and disproportionate punishment.
The Latest Comprehensive List of 54 Political and Security Prisoners Sentenced to Death in Iran
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