A group of political and civil activists has issued a statement strongly condemning the death sentence handed down to Varisheh Moradi, a Kurdish political prisoner, and has called on the public, regardless of political affiliations, to stand against these inhumane rulings and prevent the silent execution of these “state-sanctioned crimes.”
The statement, the full text of which was published by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, states that Varisheh Moradi, an activist in the field of women’s rights and a kung fu instructor for underprivileged children, who had been engaged in civil activities in Sanandaj for years, traveled to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and joined the “East Kurdistan Free Women’s Society” (KJAR). In 2014, she joined the fight against ISIS in Rojava and Kobani.
She was injured while defending Kobani and subsequently played a key role in educating and empowering the women of Rojava. Upon returning to Iran to continue her social activism, Moradi was arrested on August 1, 2023, by intelligence agents without carrying even a single cold weapon.
After five months of solitary confinement and enduring physical and psychological pressures, she was sentenced to death in a trial presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati on the charge of “rebellion” (baghi), without the opportunity to defend herself or access her lawyers.
The signatories of the statement declared that this ruling, contrary to the initial indictment based on Article 288 of the Islamic Penal Code (which carries a maximum penalty of imprisonment), was illegally issued under Article 287 and based on the “judge’s discretion.”
They described this decision not only as an attack on Varisheh Moradi but also as an assault on all women and the Kurdish society, which have consistently been at the forefront of the struggle against oppression and fascism.
The activists also highlighted the death sentences issued for Pakhshan Azizi, Sharifeh Mohammadi, and more than 50 other political and ideological prisoners, labeling executions as “deliberate state murder” and urging everyone to unite and raise their voices in protest to overturn these rulings.
They warned that at any moment, Varisheh Moradi’s sentence could be upheld by the Supreme Court and carried out, stressing that indifference to these rulings paves the way for continued repression.
