JINA MAHSA AMINI
The face of Iran's protests. Her life, her dreams and her death.
In memory of Jina 'Mahsa' Amini, the cornerstone of the 'Zan. Zendegi. Azadi revolution.
16 February 2023 | By Gino d'Artali
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Read all about the assasination of the 22 year young Jina Mahsa Amini (Kurdistan-Iran) and the start of the Zan, Zendegi, Azadi (Women, life, freedom) revolution in Iran  2022-'24
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When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
Gino d'Artali
and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.

January 2024 - All about the brave women-led
'No-To-Execution'-Hunger-Strike-Movement

"Our Sole Objective Is the Complete Overthrow of the Islamic Republic"

Urgent appeal to the UN
Preface by G. d'A.: For the second time within days the ..... urges the UN to postpone an Iran visit. The question is open, is the answer postponed instead? Well, the Iran protesters have an answer already. I'll keep you posted.

Center for Human Rights Iran - January 29 , 2024
<<Urgent Appeal: Civil Society Groups Implore UN Official to Postpone Iran Visit.
The appeal incl. an open letter Open letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and to UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif...>>
Read it here:
https://iranhumanrights.org/2024/01/urgent-appeal-civil-society-groups-implore-un-official-to-postpone-iran-visit/

Iranwire - 29 Jan 2024 - by ROGHAYEH REZAEI
<<Recurring Tale: Morning Call to Prayer and the Gallows
<Tehran doesn't laugh at anyone, but death.
It doesn't enjoy anything, except death.>
This is an excerpt of the poem <Taran> by Shirko Bekas, dedicated to Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman who died while in police custody in September 2022, triggering months of nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic. The poem gained popularity on social media. The execution of four Iranian Kurdish prisoners - Mohammad Faramarzi, Mohsen Mazloum, Wafa Azarbar and Pejman Fatehi - prompted widespread condemnations, both within and outside of Iran. These four young men, who endured imprisonment and torture in Tehran for 19 months, were executed at Ghezelhesar prison early on January 29. In July 2022, the four young Kurds were apprehended by security forces in the village of Somay Bradoost, in West Azerbaijan province. At the time, the Ministry of Intelligence reported the arrest of 10 individuals allegedly belonging to a <terrorist network affiliated with separatist villains in the northwest.> On August 27, the ministry labeled those arrested as members of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and accused them of being part of a <terrorist team sent by Israel's Mossad> intelligence service. The Ministry of Intelligence claimed to have uncovered 16 bombs in their possession, asserting that they planned to target an <industrial factory> in Isfahan. Separately, the Intelligence Organization of the Police Command announced on July 28 the arrest of five people associated with Israel who were involved in arson, propaganda against the Islamic Republic and sabotage operations. The Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan later issued a statement revealing the arrest of four of its members and holding Iranian security institutions accountable for their well-being. The party emphasized that the detainees were engaged in the party's activities in the border area of West Azerbaijan. It said they did not possess weapons or explosives. State TV broadcast a film on October 12, alleging that Israel had sent the men to three African countries to undergo training. It claimed that the group practiced in Tanzania on a life-sized model of the industrial factory that Mossad intended to target in Isfahan. Following the video's release, no information was released about the case until December 2022, when the lawyer for the four young Kurds, Masoud Shamsnejad, said the Supreme Court had confirmed their death sentences.
The sentences, handed down by Branch 26 of Tehran Revolutionary Court led by the notorious judge Iman Afshari, accused the group of <waging war against God> and <espionage for Israel.> In an interview with IranWire, Mohammad Mohammadi, the spokesperson of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, asserts that the video of the forced confessions contains inconsistencies, indicating that the death sentences were based on a scenario fabricated by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence. Mohammadi highlights the absurdity of the narrative presented in the 43-minute and 24-second film, such as the claim that the accused were taken to three African countries for training. He also notes the absence of any evidence in the video, such as photos or audio of the suspects in Africa, or their alleged conversations with Mossad agents. Mohammadi states that the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan party calls for unity and negotiation among Iran's pro-democracy opposition to confront the Islamic Republic.
<This Death Is an Honor for Me>
The spokesman says the families of Azarbar, Mazloum, Fatehi, and Faramarezi received no information about their relatives after their arrest, until the day when their death sentences were slated to be carried out. He asserts that the families' repeated attempts to receive information from security institutions about the prisoners were unsuccessful. Even the lawyer representing the four men aws unable to meet with his clients. <We have witnessed their families standing alone in front of the prison twice. Our isolation and lack of support allows the easy victimization of our young people in the Islamic Republic,> he says. Previously, IranWire received reports of people attempting to gather in front of Qezelhesar prison to join the families. However, the overwhelming presence of security forces and special units prevented these citizens from gathering. <The families have faced pressure from the security forces throughout these 19 months, including the arrest of Mohsen Mazloum's brother. He was released on bail,> Mohammadi says. Among the four men, Fatehi had a young child named Sabah. During his family's visit to prison, he told his mother and sister: <This death is an honor for me. Tell my wife not to wear black for me and not to be sad.> According to Mohammadi, Fatehi wished to see his young child before his execution. <They promised Pejman they would show him his son and allow him to bid farewell before being taken to the gallows,> Mohammadi said. It remains unclear whether Fatehi had his final wish granted.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/features/124795-recurring-tale-morning-call-to-prayer-and-the-gallows/

Iranwire - 29 Jan 2024
<< <Curse You, Khamenei!> Iranians Angered by Execution of Four Kurds
The execution of four Iranian Kurdish prisoners accused of being <saboteurs> with links to Israel's Mossad intelligence service has prompted widespread condemnations, both within and outside of Iran. Mohammad Faramarzi, Mohsen Mazloum, Wafa Azarbar and Pejman Fatehi were hanged on January 29, a day after being granted a final meeting with their relatives. Available documents and published reports show that the defendants faced an unfair judicial process and were denied access to their chosen lawyer, marking them the latest victims of the Islamic Republic's repressive policies, which include the growing use of the death penalty. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights group condemned the execution of the four political prisoners, and urged the international community to break its silence on the wave of executions in Iran. It also called on Nada Al-Nashif, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to cancel her upcoming trip to Iran. <The execution of these four prisoners was based on coerced confessions and constitutes extrajudicial killing. [Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei and the corrupt judiciary of the Islamic Republic must be held accountable for these murders,> said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the organization's director. Former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi also condemned the latest executions, saying that the Islamic Republic <is waging war on the people of Iran. <And it is waging war on the world- just having killed three American soldiers and wounded dozens more in Jordan via its proxies,> he added.


Gohar Eshgi
Read more here: Gohar-Eshghi-(1946-) "Why should I shut my mouth?"...

Gohar Eshghi, the mother of Sattar Beheshti, a blogger who died while being tortured in prison, said, <Curse you, Khamenei! I used to wish for your death, Khamenei, but now I hope you live to see the execution of your sons.> Iranian-Canadian activist Hamed Esmaeilion accused Iranian authorities of being <the enemies of youth, love and beauty.> <We will neither forget nor forgive those who coerced confessions, sent individuals to the slaughterhouse, tied the noose, pulled the stool, and, notably, the great murderer, Ali Khamenei. All those serving as agents of oppression will be held accountable,> he said. The human rights organization Hengaw strongly condemns the execution of the four Kurdish political prisoners, asserting that, even by the Islamic Republic's own standards, there was a failure to uphold the defendant's minimum rights for fair trial. The Supreme Court approved the death sentence for the four convicts, who were denied the right to access a lawyer and communicate with their families.
Their lawyer, Masoud Shamsnejad, revealed on January 16 that the Supreme Court had rejected his clients' request for a new trial. The Mizan news agency alleged that the group, accused of planning a bombing in Isfahan last summer in collaboration with Israel, were arrested a few days before the operation. A report from the government news agency claimed that the individuals were <recruited by the Mossad through the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan and were sent to African countries to undergo full operational training.> The families of the four prisoners refuted such accusations, and human rights defenders decried the death sentences as unfair, highlighting the secrecy surrounding the judicial procedures.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/124790-curse-you-khamenei-iranians-angered-by-execution-of-four-kurds/

Iranwire - 29 Jan 2024
<<Calls for Labor Strike in Iran's Kurdistan After Executions
Seven Iranian human rights organizations and an opposition party called for a labor strike across the western Kurdistan province on January 30 in response to the execution of four Kurdish prisoners. <Executions in Kurdistan have intensified, and the repression machine of the Islamic Republic of Iran is working at full capacity,> said a joint statement issued by the rights groups. They said that the Iranian government is <executing young people through brutal methods, suppressing the people of Kurdistan and stifling their pursuit of freedom.> The statement cited the January 29 execution of four members of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan after grossly unfair trials, and the confirmation of the death sentences for six other political prisoners by the Supreme Court. The purpose of the general strike is to draw national and international attention to the dire human rights situation in Kurdistan and to halt further executions, it said. Meanwhile, Abdulla Mohtadi, the secretary-general of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan called for a similar protest action on January 30. <The Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, along with numerous political parties, civil organizations, and human rights institutions in Kurdistan, will observe a day of strike and public holiday tomorrow,> he wrote on the social media platform X. <This move will serve as a tribute to the fallen comrades and as a collective protest against the massacre.> >>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/124801-calls-for-labor-strike-in-irans-kurdistan-after-executions/

Iranwire - 26 Jan 2024 - SAMANEH GHADARKHAN
<<Iranian Journalists Assaulted During Sit-In Protest in Toronto
Milad Mohammadi was holding a round-the-clock sit-in in Toronto this week to protest the killing of his brother and hundreds of other protesters in the state crackdown on the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, when two Iranian-Canadians assaulted journalists. One of the reporters, Payman Khajeh Hasani, has vowed to file a complaint against the assailants. Mohammadi believes that they are agents of the Islamic Republic tasked with sowing discord among the opponents of the clerical establishment. Milad Mohammadi was hit by pellets fired by security forces during the nationwide protests in 2022, while his brother Shahriar was shot and killed in Bukan, West Azerbaijan province. He launched a weeklong sit-in at a prominent location in Toronto on September 22, with a placard displaying photos of protesters killed. His objective is to protest the Islamic Republic authorities' bloody clampdown on dissent and the January 23 execution of a young protester, Mohammad Ghobadlou. <I asked [my friends] to create a placard using pictures of individuals who lost their lives in the protests, as I felt a deep need to protest but also a sense of despair, feeling that I had no suitable platform,> he says. On the second day of his sit-in, he encountered conflict with two Iranian-Canadian citizens who were displeased by the presence of reporters. Peyman Khajeh Hasani, a freelance reporter and cameraman who was covering Mohammadi's protest action for the BBC Persian service section, recounts the incident:
<On Tuesday, January 23, at approximately three o'clock in the afternoon, I visited Mel Lastman Square in Toronto to report on the news and create a video piece about Milad Mohammadi's sit-in,> he says. <After concluding my interview with Milad Mohammadi, he engaged in a conversation with two men. They expressed their dissatisfaction, questioning why photos of protest victims were displayed at the sit-in instead of the Lion and Sun flag,> a banner used by Iranians as a symbol of opposition to the Islamic Republic. <In response, Milad said, 'My flag is the pictures of people who lost their lives during protests and fell victim to the oppressors,'> the journalist adds. Hasani attempted to capture images of the placard behind Mohammadi but was obstructed by the two men. They physically assaulted Hasani and his colleague, calling them treaters, when Mohammadi explained to the men that the journalists were filming for the BBC. Police were called and one of the assailants was eventually arrested. The man who incited the attack managed to flee the scene but returned the next day to disrupt the sit-in again. Mohammadi identifies the assailants as <agents> dispatched by Islamic Republic as part of a <tactic to sow division.> Mohammadi emphasizes that he has not aligned with any specific political group. He contends that the Islamic Republic fears individuals who are able to unite Iranians.
<Our Sole Objective Is the Complete Overthrow of the Islamic Republic>
Mohammadi is highly confident that his sit-in will lead to the inclusion of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Canada's list of terrorist groups, and will convince Western governments <to put an end to their appeasement policy toward the Islamic Republic.> The activist acknowledges that standing for extended hours in the cold intensifies the pain in his legs, which bear multiple pellet wounds. He says that on the first night of the sit-in, <I had nothing with me but soon ordinary citizens brought sleeping bags.> <Several Iranians, equipped with sleeping bags for themselves, expressed solidarity by stating that they would endure the cold and sleep alongside me,> he recounts. Mohammadi says he deeply empathizes with Mohammad Ghobadlou's mother because his own mother experienced similar grief when his brother Shahriar was killed. <I witnessed the sorrow of other bereaved mothers, which motivated my decision to embark on this sit-in. Many families of those executed have expressed their support,> he says. <People inside Iran are enduring immense suffering and death. The severity of oppression by the Islamic Republic has driven people in Iran to the brink of madness.> Mohammadi unequivocally declares, <We do not believe in any reforms, and our sole objective is the complete overthrow of the Islamic Republic.> He pledges to continue his sit-in until January 27. On this day, civil activists in Toronto have issued a call to support Mohammadi, and residents of the city are expected to join him in solidarity.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/features/124730-iranian-journalists-assaulted-during-sit-in-protest-in-toronto/

Iranwire - 26 Jan 2024
<< <No To Execution> Hunger-Strike Movement Spreads Across Iran and Abroad
A sharp rise in executions in Iran has sparked a passionate call from Iranian civil society to abolish the death penalty in Iran, with a growing number of activists in and outside of the country announcing plans to go on hunger strike to make their voices heard. The campaign has grown since imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi said she and dozens of other women inmates in Tehran's Evin prison would launch a hunger strike on January 25, following this week's execution of a young protester who was diagnosed with a mental condition. <The incarcerated women stand resolute, determined to etch the names of the executed into our collective consciousness,> according to a joint statement posted on Mohammadi's Instagram account. <They strive not only to preserve the memory of those lost but also to spare the countless lives hanging in the balance within the prisons of the Islamic Republic.> As the hashtag #NoToExecution was becoming increasingly popular among Iranian social media users, 111 union and labor activists issued a statement on January 25, announcing they were joining the hunger strike to <express our dissent against the government's misguided practices and pervasive injustices.> <Executions have claimed countless innocent lives, an irreversible act that warrants no remedy,> said the signatories, who also denounced <inhumane state-sanctioned violence> and <the arbitrary arrest and imprisonment of free and proud individuals.> Dozens of Iranian journalists, lawyers and prisoners, including jailed artists Toomaj Salehi and Mehdi Yarrahi, said they would also join the hunger strike. Foreign-based activists such as Masih Alinejad and Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), have also said they would join the protest action. <Despite the risk of intensified persecution by the government, Iranian civil society is boldly and unequivocally demanding the abolition of the death penalty,> Ghaemi said in a statement. <Executions, a longstanding and favored tool of the Islamic Republic to suppress dissent, have surged since nationwide anti-state protests erupted in September 2022,> he added. <Yet these state-sanctioned killings are proving ineffective at muzzling calls for justice, and despite the risks, we witness a mounting outcry from within Iran for an end to these hangings.> The execution of Mohammad Ghobadlou on January 23 was widely condemned by activists and rights groups who noted that the 23-year-old man suffered from bipolar disorder and that the Supreme Court had struck down the initial death sentence ruling. Following an unfair trial, Ghobadlou was sentenced to death for allegedly killing a police officer during nationwide protests in September 2022. He is the ninth person to be executed in connection with the popular uprising. Amnesty International said Ghobadlou's execution marked a <plunge into new realms of cruelty> by the country's leadership. France's Foreign Ministry said it <adds to the many other serious and unacceptable violations of fundamental rights and freedoms committed by the Iranian authorities.> UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed alarm over the <sharp spike> in the use of the death penalty in Iran, and insisted that <the right to due process and a fair trial for all defendants [in Iran] must be adhered to.> Iranian human rights groups say the Islamic Republic executed more than 700 prisoners last year.
Human Rights Watch said at least 11 inmates in Iran are at <imminent risk> of execution, most of whom are Kurdish.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/124714-no-to-execution-hunger-strike-movement-spreads-across-iran-and-abroad/

Iranwire - 26 Jan 2024
<< <No To Execution> Hunger-Strike Movement Spreads Across Iran and Abroad
A sharp rise in executions in Iran has sparked a passionate call from Iranian civil society to abolish the death penalty in Iran, with a growing number of activists in and outside of the country announcing plans to go on hunger strike to make their voices heard. The campaign has grown since imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi said she and dozens of other women inmates in Tehran's Evin prison would launch a hunger strike on January 25, following this week's execution of a young protester who was diagnosed with a mental condition. <The incarcerated women stand resolute, determined to etch the names of the executed into our collective consciousness,> according to a joint statement posted on Mohammadi's Instagram account. <They strive not only to preserve the memory of those lost but also to spare the countless lives hanging in the balance within the prisons of the Islamic Republic.> As the hashtag #NoToExecution was becoming increasingly popular among Iranian social media users, 111 union and labor activists issued a statement on January 25, announcing they were joining the hunger strike to <express our dissent against the government's misguided practices and pervasive injustices.> <Executions have claimed countless innocent lives, an irreversible act that warrants no remedy,> said the signatories, who also denounced <inhumane state-sanctioned violence> and <the arbitrary arrest and imprisonment of free and proud individuals.> Dozens of Iranian journalists, lawyers and prisoners, including jailed artists Toomaj Salehi and Mehdi Yarrahi, said they would also join the hunger strike. Foreign-based activists such as Masih Alinejad and Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), have also said they would join the protest action. <Despite the risk of intensified persecution by the government, Iranian civil society is boldly and unequivocally demanding the abolition of the death penalty,> Ghaemi said in a statement. <Executions, a longstanding and favored tool of the Islamic Republic to suppress dissent, have surged since nationwide anti-state protests erupted in September 2022,> he added. <Yet these state-sanctioned killings are proving ineffective at muzzling calls for justice, and despite the risks, we witness a mounting outcry from within Iran for an end to these hangings.>

Mohammad Ghobadlou
The execution of Mohammad Ghobadlou on January 23 was widely condemned by activists and rights groups who noted that the 23-year-old man suffered from bipolar disorder and that the Supreme Court had struck down the initial death sentence ruling. Following an unfair trial, Ghobadlou was sentenced to death for allegedly killing a police officer during nationwide protests in September 2022. He is the ninth person to be executed in connection with the popular uprising. Amnesty International said Ghobadlou's execution marked a <plunge into new realms of cruelty> by the country's leadership. France's Foreign Ministry said it <adds to the many other serious and unacceptable violations of fundamental rights and freedoms committed by the Iranian authorities.> UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed alarm over the <sharp spike> in the use of the death penalty in Iran, and insisted that <the right to due process and a fair trial for all defendants [in Iran] must be adhered to.>
Iranian human rights groups say the Islamic Republic executed more than 700 prisoners last year. Human Rights Watch said at least 11 inmates in Iran are at <imminent risk> of execution, most of whom are Kurdish.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/124714-no-to-execution-hunger-strike-movement-spreads-across-iran-and-abroad/


112 union activists on hunger strike
Jinha - Womens News Agency 26 Jan 2024
<<112 union activists go on hunger strike today to protest executions in Iran
112 union activists announced on Thursday that they would go on a hunger strike on Friday (January 26) to protest recent executions in Iran.
News Center- 122 union activists, including teacher activist Sara Siahpour, Free Union Workers of Iran (FUWI) vice-president Parvin Mohammadi and teacher activist Nasrin Karimi, announced in a statement on Thursday that they would go on a hunger strike on Friday (January 26) to protest the recent executions in Iran. The activists demand an unconditional halt to the death penalty. <As a group of intellectuals, union activists and labor activists, we will go on a hunger strike on January 26 to protest unfair trials, executions and injustices in Iran to be in solidarity with 61 female political prisoners, who started a hunger strike on January 25. We demand an unconditional halt to the death penalty,> said the statement.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/112-union-activists-go-on-hunger-strike-today-to-protest-executions-in-iran-34507?page=1


Executions Iran Women hunger strikes - Mass Hunger Strike by Women Prisoners of Conscience
Center for Human Rights Iran - January 25 , 2024
<<Iran: Amid Surging Executions, Civil Society Registers Unprecedented Plea to Abolish Death Penalty
Mass Hunger Strike Launched by Women Prisoners of Conscience Spreading Quickly
The surge in executions in Iran has triggered a passionate call from Iranian civil society, amplified by a mass hunger strike initiated by women prisoners of conscience in Iran, to abolish the death penalty. This powerful appeal, led by women, including the imprisoned Nobel Peace Laureate Narges Mohammadi, has gained momentum following the executions of political prisoners Mohammad Ghobadlou and Farhad Salimi this week.
<Despite the risk of intensified persecution by the government, Iranian civil society is boldly and unequivocally demanding the abolition of the death penalty,> stated Hadi Ghaemi, Executive Director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). <Executions, a longstanding and favored tool of the Islamic Republic to suppress dissent, have surged since nationwide anti-state protests erupted in September 2022,> he emphasized. <Yet these state-sanctioned killings are proving ineffective at muzzling calls for justice, and despite the risks, we witness a mounting outcry from within Iran for an end to these hangings.> Ghaemi and fellow CHRI colleague Jasmin Ramsey launched their own hunger strikes in solidarity with women prisoners of conscience today. Ghaemi added: <If you are reading this, we implore you to grab a pen and paper and make a sign that says 'Stop Executions in Iran' and post it on social media. Share the stories of executed prisoners widely with friends, colleagues, and family. Call on your elected leaders to take tangible steps to pressure the Iranian government to stop murdering its people.>
Mass Hunger Strike by Women Prisoners of Conscience
More than 61 prisoners of conscience in Tehran's Evin Prison today went on hunger strike demanding an end to the death penalty. <The incarcerated women stand resolute, determined to etch the names of the executed into our collective consciousness,> said a joint statement by the women prisoners posted on the Instagram account of imprisoned Nobel Peace Laureate Narges Mohammadi. <They strive not only to preserve the memory of those lost but also to spare the countless lives hanging in the balance within the prisons of the Islamic Republic,> it said. They have since been joined by 37 former women prisoners in Iran, many of them former prisoners of conscience (full list of names listed at the end of this article).
Inside Iran others have joined the hunger strike, including detained dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi; imprisoned dissident rapper Karim Mohammadi; Narges Mohammadi's 90-year-old father; the brother and parents of Sepideh Qolian, an imprisoned human rights activist; Joanna Taimasi, the wife of death-row political prisoner Mohsen Masloum; Maria Mahmoudi, wife of death-row Kurdish political prisoner Mohammad Faramarzi; Zeinab Jalalian, a woman political prisoner sentenced to life in prison; and Anvar Khezri, Khosrow Besharat and Kamran Sheikheh, three political prisoners on death row in Qezel Hesar Prison in the city of Karaj. Calls from within Iran for an end to the death penalty do not end there. Following are statements by civil society groups released in the past two weeks:
<As evident in our revolutionary slogan 'Woman, Life, Freedom,' we consider 'life' to mean 'the right to life' and the right to prosperity, security, peace and happiness of each and every human being. These are basic and fundamental values and we will fight for them.> - 17 university student organizations, January 19, 2024 <As an independent voice of the Iranian people's quest for justice, we Mothers of Laleh Park strongly condemn the death sentences issued for these prisoners [accused of spying for Israel] and other political and common prisoners, and we demand the immediate cancellation of all death sentences. We urge the freedom- and justice-loving people of Iran, and around the world, not to remain silent in the face of this tyranny and injustice. We must protest louder and louder every day because only we, the people, can stop the brutality of this corrupt and cruel regime.> - Mothers of Laleh Park (group of mothers of victims of state violence), January 18, 2024
<Repeal the death penalty! For how long should the people of this land continue the bitter existence of waiting for the next execution? For how long do chants of 'Stop Executions!' have to echo in our society? For how long do we have to hear children crying in despair: 'Don't execute my father...Don't execute my mother...'? Or hear fathers and mothers: 'Don't execute my son... My daughter. .. My wife... My sister... My brother...'? Howmany more thousands have to be suspended from the gallows?> - Iranian Writers Association, January 13, 2024
Calls for UN Official to Cancel Trip to Iran Unless Conditions are Met
Meanwhile, several Iranian human rights activists including Hamed Esmaeilion, whose daughter and wife were killed when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps downed a passenger plane in Iranian airspace in January 2020, have called on UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif to cancel a rumored trip to Iran unless she agrees to meet with the families of political prisoners who are on death row. <Families whose children are on the verge of execution, loudly demand to meet with the UN official in order to expose the criminals!> tweeted human rights lawyer Saeid Dehghan, who for decades defended prisoners of conscience in Iran. <If you travel at this time, the Islamic Republic will turn it into propaganda. Therefore, as a long-time defender of human rights, I recommend that you refrain from traveling to Iran in protest widespread extrajudicial executions,> said Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi in an open letter to Al-Nashif.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Calls for End to Death Penalty in Iran
More than 834 people were hanged in the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2023 after sham trials where defendants were denied internationally recognized standards of due process and fair trial rights, including the right to a full defense. In the first month of 2024, at least 54 people have reportedly been put to death in the country, drawing strong condemnation from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. <I urge the government of Iran to enact an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty, with a view to abolishing the practice altogether,> he said in a statement on January 25, 2024. He added: <There is growing consensus for universal abolition of capital punishment. Close to three quarters of the countries in the world have already abolished or introduced a moratorium on the death penalty either in law or in practice. I implore the Iranian authorities to follow suit.>
Iran Is Leader in Unlawful Executions
The Islamic Republic is not only the leading per capita executioner in the world, its executions are blatantly unlawful, marked by: use in cases where there has been flagrant denials of due process and convictions based on confessions extracted under torture; executions for crimes that do not meet the international standards of only the most serious crimes; the intensifying use of the death penalty against political opponents; and its disproportionate use against minorities.
List of Former Women Prisoners in Iran on Hunger Strike
1- Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
2- Rezvaneh Mohammadi
3- Alieh Motalebzadeh
4- Leila Hosseinzadeh
5- Mojgan Inanlou
6- Hasti Amiri
7- Jila Makvandi
8- Shiva Nazarahari
9- Parisa Rafiei
10- Nazi Oskouei
11- Akram Nasirian
12- Saba Sherdoust
13- Pouran Nazemi
14- Yasaman Ariyani
15- Monireh Arabshahi
16- Narges Zarifian
17- Atefeh Chaharmahali
18- Asrin Darkaleh
19- Samaneh Qasemi-Zahed
20- Aras Amiri
21- Shahla Rahmati
22- Mahsa Amrabadi
23- Gelareh Abbasi
24- Raha Askarizadeh
25- Bahareh Soleimani
26- Zahra Sadeghi
27- Negin Aramesh
28- Raheleh Ahmadi
29- Mahnaz Mortezaei
30- Sousan Tabyanian
31- Maryam Mohammadi
32- Haleh Gholami
33- Sahba Rezvani
34- Jila Shahriari
35- Sholeh Atef
36- Shokoufeh Yadollahi
37- Atena Daemi
>>
Source:
https://iranhumanrights.org/2024/01/iran-amid-surging-executions-civil-society-registers-unprecedented-plea-to-abolish-death-penalty/

Iranwire - 25 Jan 2024
<<UN Rights Chief Alarmed by <Sharp Spike> in Use of Death Penalty in Iran
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk says he is alarmed by the <sharp spike> in the use of the death penalty in Iran, including the executions of two men earlier this week. <The right to due process and a fair trial for all defendants must be adhered to. I am also deeply disturbed by reports of forced confessions obtained under duress. Such confessions should not be invoked as evidence in any proceedings,> Turk said in a statement on January 24. On January 23, Mohammed Ghobadlou became the ninth person to be executed in connection to the 2022 nationwide protests. Farhad Salimi, a Kurdish man, was executed on the same day after spending 14 years in detention. The two executions brough to at least 54 the number of people put to death in the country so far this year. According to Human Rights Watch, at least 11 prisoners in Iran are at risk of imminent execution. Turk urged the government to enact an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty, with a view to abolishing the practice, which the UN official said <is not consistent with the most fundamental of rights - the right to life.> Nearly three quarters of the countries in the world have abolished or introduced a moratorium on the death penalty either in law or in practice.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/prisoners/124684-un-rights-chief-alarmed-by-sharp-spike-in-use-of-death-penalty-in-iran/


61 female prisoners on hungerstrike
Jinha - Womens News Agency 25 Jan 2024
<<61 female political prisoners in Evin prison go on hunger strike
61 female political prisoners in Evin prison have started a hunger strike to protest the recent executions in Iran after Farhad Salimi and Mohammad Ghovadlou were hanged in Iran on Tuesday.
News Center- Mohammad Ghovadlou and Farhad Salimi, two political prisoners, were executed in Iran on January 23, 2024. 61 female political prisoners jailed in Evin prison have started a hunger strike today to protest the recent executions of protesters in Iran, including the execution of Mohammad Ghobadlou and Farhad Salimi.
Support from artists and politicians
Many people including Iranian singer and musician Mehdi Yarrahi, Iranian-American journalist and writer Masih Alinejad, Iranian journalist and poet Hassan Homayoun, Iranian political activist Sepideh Qoliyan, Kurdish political prisoner Zeinab Jalalian and Iranian hip-hop artist Toomaj Salehi, have expressed their support to the female political prisoners on their social media accounts. Iranian singer and musician Mehdi Yarrahi, who was arrested in August 2023 after he released a song protesting Iran's mandatory hijab, announced on his social media account on Wednesday that he would start a hunger strike to support 61 female political prisoners. <Together with 61 ideological and political women prisoners of Evin, we will go on a hunger strike on Thursday in protest against the execution of #MohamadGhobadlou and to stop the executions,> his social media post said.
'Stop the executions'
Iranian hip-hop artist Toomaj Salehi, who was arrested in October 2022 and then sentenced to six years and three months in prison also announced that he would start a hunger strike to support the female political prisoners in Evin prison. <After the executions of Mohammad Ghovadlou and Farhad Salimi, Salehi will go on the hunger strike together with 61 political prisoners in the women's ward of Evin Prison. Stop the executions,> his official Twitter page said on Wednesday.
Havana Tamisi, wife of Kurdish political prisoner Mohsen Mazlum, also announced that she would go on the hunger strike. <As a freedom fighter and an opponent of the Iranian regime, I announce that I will go on the hunger strike together with 61 female political prisoners in Evin prison. Stop the executions in Iran,> she wrote on her social media account. Iranian journalist, poet and novelist Hassan Homayoun also announced that he would not eat or drink anything on Thursday, January 25, to support the hunger strike of 61 female political prisoners in Evin prison.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/61-female-political-prisoners-in-evin-prison-go-on-hunger-strike-34502?page=1

Mehdi Yarrahi 'Soroode zendegi' (Live's anthem)

Click here to listen to the song


Zeinab Jalalian
Jinha - Womens News Agency 25 Jan 2024
<<Zeinab Jalalian goes on hunger strike in solidarity with 61 female political prisoners
Kurdish political prisoner Zeinab Jalalian starts a hunger strike today in solidarity with 61 female political prisoners in Evin prison, who go on a hunger strike today to protest the recent executions of protesters in Iran.
News Center- The Kurdistan Human Rights Network has announced that Kurdish political prisoner Zeinab Jalalian, who is behind bars in Yazd prison, will go on a hunger strike in solidarity with 61 female political prisoners, who go on a hunger strike today to protest the recent executions of protesters in Iran, including the execution of young protester Mohammad Ghobadlou. <Although Zeinab Jalalian has been held in solitary confinement in Yazd prison and her phone calls are severely restricted, she announced that she <would go on a hunger strike on Thursday to be in solidarity with 61 female political prisoners in Evin prison,> the Kurdistan Human Rights Network said. After Mohammad Ghobadlou was executed on Tuesday (January 23, 2024), 61 female political prisoners jailed in Tehran's Evin prison announced that they would go on a hunger strike on Thursday to protest the recent executions in Iran, including the execution of young protester Mohammad Ghovadlou. Zeynab Jalalian is a Kurdish women's rights activist, who was sentenced to death by an Islamic Revolutionary Court on charges of <enmity against God> in 2008.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/zeinab-jalalian-goes-on-hunger-strike-in-solidarity-with-61-female-political-prisoners-34500?page=1

Women's Liberation Front 2019/cryfreedom.net 2024