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Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Family members of Kurdish political prisoners Mohsen Mazloum, Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azarbar and Hajir Faramarzi have been summoned for their last pre-execution prison visits in Evin Prison. Their executions could be carried out within hours.
Iran Human Rights calls on the international community for urgent action to save the political prisoners and stop arbitrary executions in Iran.
Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam previously said: “In addition to the death penalty being inhumane, these four political prisoners like many other death row prisoners, were denied basic fair trial rights and their sentences are unlawful even according to the Islamic Republic’s own laws.”
He added: “Since the authorities needs to create societal fear to prevent protests on the one hand and covering up government incompetence in maintaining security on the other hand, there’s a very high chance of these prisoners and many others on death row for security charges being executed.”
IHRNGO’s director considers “popular campaigns against the death penalty and international community pressure” to be “the only way to stop the government’s execution machine”.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, Kurdish political prisoners Mohsen Mazloum, Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azarbar and Hojeir Faramarzi were arrested in Urmia on 22 June 2022 and held incommunicado since. Months later, their torture-tainted forced confessions were aired by state media.
The four Kurdish political prisoners were sentenced to death for charges of moharebeh (enmity against god) and efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) through espionage for Israel by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. According to their relatives, their death penalty was upheld by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court within 24 hours.
Mohsen Mazloum’s wife, Joanna Taimasi told Iran Human Rights: “They were arrested a year and a half ago and we’ve heard nothing since. We have no information about their location and health. Last week, a lawyer told us that my husband and his friends’ sentence had been issued by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court and upheld by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court. These sentences were issued in an unfair trial with only a court-appointed lawyer present. Each of them had a court-appointed lawyer but they wouldn’t even let their own lawyers read the case. Ultimately, their sentences were upheld within 24 hours.”
“In June 2022, they’d travelled to Urmia unarmed and on behalf of the Komala party for political activities where they were arrested. The Islamic Republic aired their forced confessions after 80 days in which they were tortured to say they were Mosad agents and Israeli spies and had planned to blow up an industrial centre in Isfahan,” she added.
