Amnesty International has condemned Iran's Supreme Court for upholding the conviction and death sentence of Kurdish activist Pakhshan Azizi, calling her trial and punishment unjust.
"Iran's authorities must halt any plans to carry out her execution and release her immediately," Amnesty said in a post on X Tuesday, adding that Azizi was sentenced in connection with her peaceful humanitarian and human rights work.
Azizi’s lawyer, Amir Raeisian, criticized the judicial process, saying the Supreme Court failed to address critical flaws in her case.
“We filed an appeal, but ... the Supreme Court reviewed the appeal and unfortunately rejected it without addressing the numerous flaws in the case, thereby confirming the death sentence,” Raeisian told Tehran-based newspaper Sharq Daily on Wednesday.
Azizi was arrested at her home in Tehran in August 2023, by state security forces who allegedly held a gun to her head.
She asserts that she was denied legal counsel during detention and was tortured to confess to things she had not done---something rights groups say is a routine tactic used by Iranian authorities against activists.
Azizi was sentence to death in July 2024 for “armed rebellion against the state” and imposed an additional four-year prison sentence for alleged membership in the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), accusations her lawyers have denied.
In a letter from prison right after her sentence, Azizi described instances of torture and harassment, including mock executions.
At least 54 political prisoners including Azizi are currently facing execution across various prisons in Iran, according to US-based rights group HRANA.
Iran has faced mounting international criticism for its use of the death penalty, particularly against political prisoners and activists.
Iran executed 901 people in 2024, including 31 women, marking a rise in capital punishment cases, the United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday.
