Iran's Supreme Court suspended death sentence for Bakhshan Azizi

 Mazyar Tataei, the  prominent lawyer defending Kurdish activist Bakhshan Azizi, disclosed that the Supreme Court of Iran has agreed to suspend the execution following a petition for a retrial. Tataei confirmed this through a statement reported by Iran International.

 The decision coincided with widespread strikes across Eastern Kurdistan, staged in protest against the death sentences issued for activists Bakhshan Azizi and Risha Moradi.

 In a post shared on his X account on Wednesday, January 22, Tataei announced that the suspension was granted following efforts by himself and fellow lawyer Amir Raesian. He noted that the Supreme Court had previously upheld Azizi's death sentence on January 8 and had forwarded the case to the Execution Office for implementation.

 Tataei explained further in his statement: "Today, during our review with the Supreme Court alongside my esteemed colleague Mr. Amir Raesian to pursue the request for a retrial for Ms. Bakhshan Azizi, the relevant judicial branch approved the suspension of the sentence in accordance with Article 478 of the Iranian Criminal Procedure Code."

 The suspension comes amidst a wave of public demonstrations in cities across Eastern Kurdistan, including Sanandaj, Saqqez, Divandareh, Mariwan, Mahabad, Bukan, and Kermanshah. On January 22, a general strike closed down shops and markets in protest of the execution orders against Azizi and Moradi.

 Earlier, on January 19, six Kurdish political parties and entities issued a joint statement calling for a general strike across Eastern Kurdistan on January 22 to demand the halting of the executions of Bakhshan Azizi and Risha Moradi.

 Worth to note that Bakhshan Azizi was arrested in Tehran on August 4, 2023, and spent nearly five months in solitary confinement before being transferred to the women's wing of Evin Prison in late December of the same year. On July 23, 2024, Judge Iman Afshari, presiding over Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, sentenced Azizi to death on charges of "rebellion."

 Azizi is among dozens of political prisoners facing death sentences in Iran, many of which have been confirmed despite the availability of evidence exonerating them.

 According to a report by the human rights organization HRANA published on January 6, 2025, at least 54 individuals are currently on death row in Iran due to political or security-related charges.

 Statistics reveal a concerning rise in the number of political detainees facing capital punishment in Iran, with 21 new cases added to the list in the past year alone.

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ANHA