Hana: Today, Wednesday, January 8, 2025, Amir Raeesian, the lawyer of Pakshan Azizi, a Kurdish political prisoner, reported the Supreme Court’s confirmation of her death sentence.
Amir Raeesian stated:
“Following the death sentence issued by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran against Ms. Pakshan Azizi, we filed an appeal in Branch 39 of the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, despite the numerous flaws in the case, the appeal was rejected, and the death sentence was upheld.”
He also wrote:
“Pakshan Azizi has neither been a member of any military groups nor engaged in any military activities. This ruling contradicts the principles of fair trial and disregards the evident issues in the case. The decision was officially communicated to us today.”
Pakshan Azizi, a Kurdish political prisoner, was sentenced to death by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, on charges of “rebellion through membership in one of the Kurdish opposition parties against the Iranian government.”
Her trial was held on May 29, 2024, and the verdict was conveyed to her lawyer on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.
This ruling was issued despite the fact that Azizi was denied access to legal representation and family visits during the eight months of her detention and interrogation.
Pakshan Azizi, a 39-year-old journalist and social work graduate, is a former political prisoner from Mahabad. She was arrested by government forces in Tehran on August 4, 2023, and after four months of interrogation, she was transferred from Ward 209 of Evin Prison to the women’s ward on December 11, 2023.
Ms. Azizi was previously detained on November 16, 2009, during student protests at the University of Tehran against political executions in Kurdistan. She was eventually released on bail.
In recent days, Pakshan Azizi wrote a letter from Evin Prison, describing the torture she endured at the hands of security forces. She stated that she had been “hanged multiple times” during interrogations and denied the right to family visits or calls.