Mai Sato, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, expressed concern on Thursday, January 16, over the Supreme Court of Iran’s regime upholding the death sentence of Pakhshan Azizi, a civil activist and social worker imprisoned in Evin Prison.
Ms. Sato, while reposting a January 14 statement by a group of UN experts on X, referred to reports of Ms. Azizi being tortured in solitary confinement and denied a fair trial and access to legal representation.
She wrote that Pakshan Azizi’s case reflects the broader persecution of women activists from ethnic minority groups.
Alarmed by Iran's Supreme Court upholding #DeathSentence of Kurdish activist Pakhshan Azizi. Reportedly tortured in solitary confinement, denied fair trial&legal representation. Her case reflects broader persecution of minority women activists. https://t.co/gPkuT5Vd3e
— Mai Sato (@drmaisato) January 17, 2025
According to the website of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the experts stated that the charges against Pakhshan Azizi do not meet the threshold of the most serious crimes required under international law for imposing the death penalty. They emphasized that her death sentence constitutes a serious violation of international human rights law.
On July 23, 2024, Pakhshan Azizi was sentenced to death and four years in prison by Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, on charges of “rebellion through membership in opposition groups.” She had been arrested in Tehran by Iranian intelligence forces in the summer of 2023.
The UN experts noted that Ms. Azizi’s arrest and conviction appear to be solely due to her legitimate activities as a social worker, including supporting refugees in Iraq and Syria.
These experts added that several members of Pakhshan Azizi’s family had also been temporarily detained and faced national security charges, likely as a means of pressuring her into making a forced confession.
In their statement, these experts expressed deep concern over the increasing issuance and implementation of death sentences in Iran, stating that the number of executions in the country had surpassed 900 in 2024, with a rise in the execution of women.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the main opposition coalition against the Iranian regime, had announced that over 1,000 people had been executed in Iran in 2024.
The UN experts further stated that Ms. Azizi’s case exemplifies the intensified persecution of female activists from ethnic minority groups in Iran and reflects the continued efforts to punish and silence them through a climate of intimidation.
The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Pakhshan Azizi’s death sentence has sparked widespread protests and criticism.
In this regard, the Deputy Special Envoy of the United States for Iran called on Tuesday for the cancellation of Pakhshan Azizi’s death sentence. Azizi is a Kurdish activist and social worker.
Abram Paley, in a post on X, stated that the United States urges the Iranian government to revoke the death sentence of the humanitarian worker Pakshan Azizi following her sham trial.
Paley emphasized, “The Iranian regime must stop targeting Kurdish minorities and using the death penalty to silence peaceful dissent.”
