Iran Supreme Court upholds death sentence of Kurdish political prisoner, Pakhshan Azizi
Hengaw: Wednesday, January 8, 2025
The death sentence of Kurdish political prisoner Pakhshan Azizi has been upheld by the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Her legal team had previously expressed concerns over potential interference by security agencies, casting doubt on the likelihood of her acquittal following her appeal.
According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Branch 39 of the Supreme Court affirmed the death sentence against Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish political prisoner from Mahabad.
Amir Raeisiian, Azizi’s attorney, confirmed the ruling, stating that the court, “without addressing numerous procedural and substantive flaws in the case,” upheld the death sentence. He added, “This ruling contradicts the judicial precedents of the country, prior decisions from the same court branch, and the broader judicial policies of the nation regarding capital punishment.”
Raeisiian further noted, “None of the objections raised concerning Pakhshan Azizi’s case were addressed by the Supreme Court. The court ignored critical procedural and substantive flaws in the case.”
The attorney emphasized, “There was a lack of attention to the deficiencies in the investigations, and no consideration was given to evidence showing that Ms. Azizi’s activities did not merit the death penalty. Her humanitarian efforts in refugee camps in North East Syria (Rojava) and Sinjar, focused on aiding those affected by ISIS attacks, were peaceful and lacked any political motives.”
On June 12, 2024, Azizi was sentenced to death on charges of “armed rebellion.” She later faced an additional charge of “inciting unrest in prison,” resulting in a separate six-month prison sentence issued by the Third Investigation Branch of Evin Prosecutor’s Office.
Azizi was arrested on August 4, 2023, in Tehran’s Kharrazi District by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence. She was transferred from Evin Prison’s Ward 209, known as the Intelligence Detention Center, to the women’s ward of Evin on December 11, 2023.
It is worth noting that on November 16, 2009, during a student protest by Kurdish students at the University of Tehran against the execution of political prisoners in Kurdistan, Azizi was arrested. She was later released on March 18, 2010, after four months in custody and posting bail of 100 million tomans.
Subsequently, Azizi left Iran due to ongoing threats and pressure from security agencies. In Iraqi Kurdistan and Kurdish regions of North East Syria, she conducted research on the status of women and engaged in social work to improve their conditions.
