Roman Mireki
Issuance of death sentence for “Sharife Mohammadi”, a labor activist by Islamic Revolutionary Court in Rasht, has brought strong criticism from labor and trade unions in Iran. In addition, a number of well known figures in Iran’s civil society consider issuance of such a sentence to be unjust and result of security institutions open cases against women activists in various fields.
“Maryam Dehkordi” talked about its consequences on women’s civil society, situation of other imprisoned active women, and support of Kurdistan’s civil society for Sharife Mohammadi and other women prisoners were accused of “rape”.
Yahya Sorkhani, an environmental activist and one of victims of “Women, Life, freedom” movement, and “Lale Mohammadi”, one of Sharife Mohammadi’s relatives were talked about her.
“Such a ruling does not have slightest human and legal validity.”This is an inhuman sentence to punish union, civic and political activists.”
This is a part of sentences that were published in statement of campaign to defend Sharife Mohammadi. On Thursday, 6 July 2024, this campaign announced that Sharife Mohammadi, a labor activist imprisoned in Rasht’s “Lakan” prison, was sentenced to death by Islamic Revolutionary Court of this city in a “medieval” and “criminal” verdict.
This campaign also emphasized that issuing a death sentence against Mohammadi would be a declaration of war and issuing a death sentence against all social and civil activists, and further called for cancellation of this sentence and his unconditional release.
“Yahya Sorkhani”, an environmental activist and one of victims of “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, who was suffering from consequences of a bullet shot in his eye, issuing such a sentence with aim of weakening civil resistance confirmed support of women, especially in Kurdistan, and said; “Mrs. Sharife Mohammadi is an informed, peace loving woman, a leading wife and mother, and has been a role model for many women close to her.” Years earlier, even before his marriage, he was a member of coordinating committee to help build labor organizations. members of this committee have always strongly emphasized independence of committee from all political groups, now Revolutionary Court has attributed activities of this committee to an opposition group of Islamic Republic with a history of armed activity. “A claim that is fundamentally false and was made only with aim of intimidating civil society”.
Sharife Mohammadi Court was held on 8 June 2024 in first branch of Islamic Revolution Court of Rasht. Telegram channel “Coordinating Committee to Help Establish Labor Organizations” announced that “Siros Fathi”, the wife of this imprisoned labor activist, informed Mohammadi of news of death sentence and that he dealt with this terrible news firmly.
“Lale Mohammadi”, one of Sharife Mohammadi’s relatives, in a brief appearance told; “I read news at five in morning and I am still in shock”. I know that Sharife had a brief contact with her mother and her 13 years old son. His family is also shocked. Unfortunately, we don’t know about his condition and we don’t know how he is going to deal with this news. But Sharife is committed to peace and reconciliation with world based on her own principles. This accusation is extremely unfair, unrealistic and unfair, and we all members of Sharife’s family will do our best to break this unjust sentence and take her life back from this oppressive government”.
Referring to Sharife Mohammadi’s membership in coordination committee to help create labor organizations, Lale Mohammadi says; “Sharife was a worker herself, she was born in a working class family, she was always concerned about vulnerable classes and she was a member of a committee that is within framework of laws of Islamic Republic he has been working. When Sharife was taken to Sanandaj prison, they were subjected to so much torture and abuse that she was forced to confess to baseless accusations that were made against her. But she did not give in to this and resisted until authorities of Revolutionary Court and prison were afraid that she would be harmed due to physical and mental abuse and they transferred Sharife back to Rasht.
According to Lale Mohammadi, examples of such heavy accusations against Sharife Mohammadi are only emails that were found in connection with cooperation with committee in past years; “Sharife had a captured lawyer in first stages of interrogation, but now she has a chosen lawyer. We are sorry that despite all this, such a sentence has been issued, but examples of issuing sentence are so childish and insufficient that it can only be called case making. I want everyone to support campaign to defend freedom of Sharife Mohammadi. Concerned friends of Sharife have launched this page to try for her release, and her visibility can help in this way.
Kurdish female activists who are in prison facing accusations of treason
Sharife Mohammadi is not a Kurd and is originally from Turkey, but she has been in contact with civil society of Kurdistan. Committee to help form labor organizations has well known members such as “Mohammed Salehi” and its members have repeatedly emphasized independence of this committee from all parties and groups inside and outside Iran.
But Sharife is not only woman who has been accused of being a “treason” because of her civil and social activities, that too in the past.
”Treason” serious charge against two female Kurdish political activists named “Verishe Moradi” and “Pakhshan Azizi” had previously caused concerns among activists and human rights institutions. These two political and civil activists were arrested on August 2022 in Kurdistan.
Varishe Moradi, with organizational name “Juana Sane”, is a member of organization “Kejar” or “Free Women’s Society of Eastern Kurdistan”, whose website says that it is an active organization in field of women, environment, democracy and freedom. This organization is close to Kurdistan Workers Party.
Referring to arrest of ”Varishe Moradi” with beatings and violence, Yahya Sarkhani says; “Varishe Moradi is a social worker and researches problems of women in Kurdistan. She has written many articles and his aim is to spread awareness. Mrs. Moradi spent five months of her detention in solitary cells of Sanandaj and 209 Evin Intelligence Department detention centers in Tehran, and despite her family’s continuous follow up by security agencies, there was no information about her fate. In court which was held after a long time on Sunday 16 June 2024 in branch 15 of Tehran Revolutionary Court presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salvati, none of Varishe Moradi’s lawyers were allowed to defend themselves. Together, these convey message that Islamic Republic is afraid of strong presence of women in Kurdistan and areas that have been deliberately deprived of knowledge and development. People like Sharife, Varishe, pakhshan, Sepideh Qalian, Atena Daemi and all women who are involved in civic activities have ability and power to bring about positive changes in direction of reforming patriarchal laws, demanding and curtailing hand of tradition and culture in violating womens rights. This is most important reason why Islamic Republic treats them and their cases so harshly”.
Pakhshan Azizi, Kurdish political prisoner was denied right to contact and visit her family Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish woman activist who is in Tehran’s Evin prison on charge of treason, has been denied right to contact and visit her family since two weeks ago.
This political prisoner has been denied right to contact and visit her family since 6 July 2024 by order of prison’s disciplinary council. This decision was communicated to her after it was issued, but no explanation was given about reason and duration of this exclusion.
Pakhshan Azizi, from Mahabad and a graduate of social work from Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran, was arrested by Ministry of Intelligence forces in Tehran on 3 August 2023 and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Several members of her family were also arrested at same time and released after a few days of interrogation.
Pakhshan Azizi was subjected to physical and mental torture by security interrogators to make a forced confession to “membership in opposition groups”.
Pakhshan Azizi protested against torture and pressure of interrogators to accept this charge and make televised confessions. He went on a hunger strike for several days and denied all accusations. He announced that he worked as a social worker and translator in war zones for several years has been active in Rojava Kurdistan.
For first time on 15 November 2008, during protest gathering of Kurdish students of Tehran University against political executions in Kurdistan, Pakhshan Azizi was arrested by security officers. After four months of detention, this Kurdish activist left Iran on free bail and has been staying in Kurdistan Region of Iraq for past few years.
Support for Sharife Mohammadi and civil and labor activists
On Thursday, 4 July 2024 in a statement in support of Sharife Mohammadi, “Tehran and Suburbs Bus Unit Workers Union” wrote that she was sentenced to death without a trial and without transparent and legal procedures.
This labor organization criticized verdict of Branch 1 of Islamic Revolutionary Court of Rasht, which was issued based on “false and baseless accusation of sedition” and added; this verdict is based on pretext of Mrs. Sharife Mohammadi’s membership in coordination committee for aid a decade ago to create labor organizations that are an independent and open labor organization.
Workers Union of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Unit emphasized that “cruel verdict” against Sharife Mohammadi does not have slightest human and legal validity and should be canceled immediately.
This syndicate described issuing of such a sentence as a scenario against labor and civil activists by security agents and complete dependence of judges and judiciary on security institutions and wrote; “These behaviours are beyond any limits and human principles and foundations, which have long been past and sovereignty must be held accountable for these brutal death sentences.”
“Coordinating Council of Trade Union Organizations of Iranian Cultural Organizations” also wrote in a statement that after months of unjust imprisonment and all kinds of torture and case building in absence of a fair trial, Sharife Mohammadi was sentenced to death and called it “an inhuman sentence to punish trade union, civil and political”.
Worried about intensification of issuing death sentences after elections During the past months, at least 15 political prisoners with names of “Nasim Gholami Simiari”, “Hamidreza Sahlabadi”, “Ehsan Ravazjian”, “Amin Sakhnour”, “Ali Herati Mokhtari”, “Hossein Mohammad Hosseini”, “Hossein Ardestani”, “Amir Shahvalaiti” , “Vahid Bani Amiryan”, “Pouya Qobadi”, “Mohammed Taqva”, “Mojtabi Taqva”, “Babak Alipour”, “Abolhasan Montazer” and “Asghar Daneshfar” are facing indictment of charges of corruption and like Sharife Mohammadi, are in danger of death sentence.
Yahya Sorkhani told; “After Masoud pezshkian becomes president, confrontation between pasdaran forces and government will begin. In 2013, we saw how when Hassan Rouhani was elected, a large number of civil and political activists who were imprisoned and whose cases were under investigation were suddenly sentenced to death and their sentences were executed. This is just a power struggle. In fact, fundamentalist and extremist faction wants to take revenge for handing over power to opposition front by sacrificing innocent people and executing orders that were issued in an unfair process and without sufficient documents and evidence.
“Kolbarnews” also warned that Islamic Republic has always accelerated execution process in country immediately after end of elections.
On Friday, 5 July 2024, at same time as second round of presidential elections in Iran, Kolbarnews announced by releasing a video; “Always in days before elections, government carries out executions for two weeks in order to draw people to polls and gain legitimacy stops.”
Kolbarnews, referring to experience of previous periods, believes that authorities of Islamic Republic reduce execution of sentences in order to encourage people to participate in elections, and immediately after elections, the number of executions increases sharply.
Kolbarnews warned audience and international community about upcoming wave of executions and asked them to prepare now to deal with and react appropriately to possible wave of executions.
