South African women protest death sentences for activists Bakhshan, Sharifa

The East Kurdistan Free Women's Society (KJAR) launched the "No to Execution, Yes to Free Life" campaign on the 14th anniversary of the execution of Shirin Alamhouli and her colleagues on May 9, 2010.

South African women condemned the death sentences issued by the Iranian judiciary against activist Bakhshan Azizi and labour's rights activist Sharifa Mohammadi. They supported the campaign by staging a demonstration outside the Iranian embassy in Pretoria and joining the "No to Execution, Yes to Free Life" campaign.

Organizations such as the "Martyr Ivana Hoffman Group," "Freedom Park Women's Group," "Black Consciousness Movement," "Martyr Aaron Bushnell," and "Together for This Event" participated in the protest.

The protesting women issued a message expressing their solidarity with "the voices of the world condemning the repressive Iranian regime."

The statement read: "We plan to continue organizing and working together in the spirit of women's unity for those who were executed and faced further hardships due to injustice at that time. We will not stop until everyone is free."

Earlier, Italian and Colombian activists had shown solidarity with The East Kurdistan Free Women's Society’s campaign against death sentences in Iran.

In July, Iranian authorities sentenced activists Bakhshan Azizi and Sharifa Mohammadi to death, and the two activists remained under surveillance for weeks, facing pressure and torture.

 A-H

ANHA