“Vafa Azarbar, Mohsen Mazloum, Pejman Fatehi, and Mohammad Faramarzi”
On the Occasion of the First Anniversary of Their Execution by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran
One year ago, on this day, January 28, 2024, coinciding with another dawn in Rajaei Shahr Prison, the Islamic Republic of Iran brutally and unjustly executed our loved ones in violation of all global ethical and legal principles. Their precious lives were taken away by the gallows.
During their entire detention—or more accurately, their “enforced disappearance” as defined by legal terms—our loved ones were held in the most terrifying and obscure detention centers of the Ministry of Intelligence. They were deprived of the most basic rights of an accused person, or even those of a human being. The entire judicial process related to their case was nothing but a fabricated scenario by the security apparatus, bearing no resemblance to the truth.
They were tortured daily to the brink of death, denied even the minimal rights of the accused under the flawed laws of the Islamic Republic, coerced into giving forced confessions, and subsequently tried in sham trials reminiscent of Nazi-era courtrooms in Germany. Finally, they were sent to the gallows.
The day after this state-sponsored murder, in a rare and widespread reaction following calls by political parties, civil society organizations, and human rights groups, the cities of Kurdistan united in a massive and coordinated strike, expressing their objection to this inhumane execution.
Since the alleged execution date claimed by the officials of the Islamic Republic, we have received no information about the fate of our loved ones. The authorities refuse to return the bodies, issue death certificates in compliance with their own laws, or even disclose the burial locations.
This heinous act constitutes an international crime and continues with malicious intent. We know this bitter and endless waiting is an experience shared by thousands of other justice-seeking families in Iran. What pain could be greater than not knowing where your beloved, your love, whose life was taken by the executioners of the Islamic Republic, is buried?
In this regard, as families of the victims—Mohammad(Hazhir) Faramarzi, Pejman Fatehi, Mohsen Mazloum, and Vafa Azarbar—we have filed our first legal complaint with the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. Additionally, with the help of the families’ attorney, we are assessing all available legal mechanisms for seeking justice on the international level. To this end, on February 1, in Cologne, Germany, we will discuss the issue of combating the enforced disappearance of bodies and the mechanisms of justice-seeking with experts in the field.
As part of the larger family of justice-seekers, we see it as our duty not only to seek justice for our own loved ones but also to be the resonant voice for all victims of this anti-human regime. We will not stop until justice is achieved for ourselves and for all justice-seeking families.
In recent days, as the grim shadow of execution orders again looms over political and civil activists, the people of Kurdistan have once more staged a successful strike to protest the unjust death sentences issued against Pakhshan Azizi and Verishe Moradi.
This strike not only demonstrated solidarity and opposition to such inhumane punishments but also reflected the deeply rooted belief in human dignity, freedom, and human rights within the collective consciousness of the Kurdish people.
Despite this collective response, the regime’s reaction has been nothing but increased repression, arbitrary arrests, and the abduction of civil activists. The widespread summonses and arrests of tradespeople and strike participants are blatant attempts to intimidate society and silence the voice of justice.
We emphasize our adherence to human principles and justice and demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees from this civil strike.
The right to protest and strike is a fundamental human right that the Iranian government, as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights—particularly Article 21 of the Covenant—is obligated to respect and guarantee.
To the freedom-loving people of the world, human rights institutions, and activists: today, we have risen in pursuit of justice and call on all of you for support in this fight. Together, let us compel the Islamic Republic of Iran to answer for its actions and bring it to trial in international courts.
We need your solidarity to build a fairer and more humane future and to prevent further state-sponsored killings. The right to life is the foundation of all other human rights, and we cannot allow the Islamic Republic to continue stripping this right from our people.
Let us together write a new chapter in the international justice movement against the anti-human regime of the Islamic Republic.
Justice-Seeking Campaign for Four Executed Kurdish Political Prisoners
January 28, 2025 (9 Bahman 1403)
Cologne, Germany