Kurdish political prisoner, Pakhshan Azizi, sentenced to death
Hengaw: Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish journalist, social worker, and political prisoner currently imprisoned in Evin Prison, has been deprived of the right to phone calls and family visits. She has been sentenced to death by the Iranian Judiciary on charges of "rebellion."
According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish political prisoner from Mahabad, has been sentenced to death by Branch 26 of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. She was convicted of "rebellion" on the charge of "Membership in groups that waged an armed uprising against the Islamic government, whose leaders are involved in rebellion." Additionally, she received a four-year prison sentence on the charge of being a member of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK). Her case hearings were held on May 28 and June 16, 2024. The mentioned verdict was notified to her lawyers on Tuesday, July 22, 2024.
The death sentence for Pakhshan Azizi was issued amid her prolonged deprivation of legal representation and family visits. Additionally, her case proceedings have been conducted through opaque and unjust processes.
Hengaw recently published a letter from Pakhshan Azizi in which she reported being subjected to multiple instances of torture and harassment. Additionally, she has been denied the right to visit or call her family for the past two weeks.
On August 4, 2023, Pakhshan Azizi was arrested by Iranian Intelligence Forces in the Kharazi town of Tehran.
On December 11, 2023, she was transferred from Ward 209 of Evin Prison, which is known as the Ministry of Intelligence's detention center, to the women's ward of the same prison.
Previously, Hengaw, citing politically informed sources, reported that several members of Pakhshan Azizi's family were arrested alongside her but were released after a few days.
It is worth noting that Pakhshan Azizi was arrested on November 16, 2009, during a protest by Kurdish students in Tehran against the executions of prisoners in Kurdistan. She was subsequently released on March 19, 2010, after four months in detention, upon posting bail of 100 million Tomans.
Subsequently, Pakhshan Azizi left Iran due to pressure and threats from Iranian security institutions. During her research on the situation of women in Iraqi Kurdistan and Syrian Kurdistan, she engaged in social work to improve their conditions.
