Human rights activist facing death sentence in Iran

Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran has sentenced Bakhshan Azizi, a women's rights activist and political prisoner, to death.

Azizi was arrested by Iranian authorities on August 4, 2023, in Tehran. She was transferred to Tehran's Intelligence Detention Center, where she was interrogated and tortured, and then moved to Ward 209 in Evin Prison. On December 11 of the same year, she was transferred to the women's ward in Evin Prison.

Court sessions for Azizi were held on May 28 and June 16, and her lawyer was informed of the death sentence on July 23. She was convicted on pretexts of "treason" and "affiliation with opposition groups."

For several months, Azizi was denied the right to legal representation and was tried in an unjust and opaque process, facing severe pressure to obtain coerced confessions. She has also been deprived of visitation rights and contact with her family for the past two weeks. The disciplinary board of Evin Prison made this decision and communicated it to her without explanation.

Bakhshan Azizi, born in Mahabad and a social work graduate from Allameh Tabatabai University, was first arrested on November 16, 2009, during a student protest at Tehran University against political executions in East Kurdistan. She was released on bail on March 19, 2010, after four months of detention.

Recently, Bakhshan Azizi wrote a letter from prison discussing her struggles and life difficulties from childhood until her arrest, emphasizing that concealing the truth and distorting history is the greatest injustice faced by women and marginalized communities. She stressed the importance of raising awareness and advocating for the rights of women and marginalized groups.

Sh-S

ANHA