Pakhshan Azizi, a dedicated humanitarian and human rights activist from Iran’s Kurdish community, is facing execution after an unjust trial primarily based on her commitment to peaceful activism. Her exit from justice appeared impossible when Branch Nine of the Supreme Court, on February 5, 2025, dismissed her appeal for judicial review. Following a wrongful death sentence from a Revolutionary Court in July 2024, her plight deepens amidst reports of torture and mistreatment she has endured in detention.
Iranian authorities arrested the 40-year-old on August 4, 2023, during an oppressive clampdown on dissent, subsequently confining her to Section 209 of Evin Prison. There, she suffered five months of prolonged solitary confinement, deprived of communication with legal counsel and family. This treatment intensified the atmosphere of injustice surrounding her case, leading to a sentence marked by serious procedural flaws that ignored her humanitarian work altogether.
At trial, Pakhshan was bizarrely labelled an “armed rebel”, yet evidence of her harmless actions, including her humanitarian missions aiding women and children affected by conflict in Syria, were overlooked. Without any credible evidence, the courts inaccurately justified her conviction based on dubious claims and reports from sources aligned with the oppressive Iranian state. Her lawyer strongly condemned the baseless accusations, reinforcing that Azizi’s activism benefitted the community rather than posed any threat.
The authorities continue to inflict retribution upon Azizi while she remains unjustly imprisoned. Throughout 2024, she experienced deprivation of family visits and was wrongfully charged once again for simply voicing her concerns about electoral injustices. The rising wave of executions in Iran has predominantly targeted ethnic minorities, spotlighting the injustice faced by Kurdish individuals, including Pakhshan, who now joins the ranks of women awaiting execution for their beliefs and actions, such as Verisheh Moradi and Sharifeh Mohammadi.
Amnesty International vehemently opposes the death penalty, condemning it as a severe violation of fundamental human rights. The harsh reality for Iran’s Kurdish population is a tapestry woven with systemic discrimination, pushing them further into poverty and limiting their opportunities for a better future. This cruel cycle of oppression has seen many innocents fall victim in a land where voices of dissent are silenced with brutal efficiency, and urgent action is needed to save people like Pakhshan before it’s too late.
Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish human rights defender in Iran, faces execution following a flawed trial. Despite humanitarian work, she was unfairly sentenced to death and subjected to torture in detention. Calls for action have emerged demanding the quashing of her conviction and an end to her mistreatment, amid a broader pattern of oppression against ethnic minorities in Iran, particularly Kurds.
Pakhshan Azizi’s case exemplifies the dire human rights crisis facing many Kurdish activists in Iran, highlighted by unjust trials, wrongful convictions, and a pervasive atmosphere of fear and repression. Her immediate risk of execution underscores the urgent need for international intervention and solidarity in advocating for her release, healthcare, and legal rights. Systemic injustices against ethnic minorities must be addressed to ensure a future where such rights are upheld in Iran.
Original Source: amnesty.ca
