Stop Iran’s Regime of Ignorance and Despotism from carrying out Chain Executions
Open Message to the Women’s International Democratic Federation
The popular uprising of Woman, Life, Freedom that started with the protests of women and youth in protest at the state killing of the 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, for the supposed breach of the full Islamic hejab, in September 2022, has been continuing in our country in different forms including strike action by workers, students, teachers and nurses, as well as the civil resistance of the women and girls for the right to choose what they wear.
The medieval regime of the Islamic Republic which has forced a life of poverty and unprecedented inflation on the people of Iran, on the workers and the disenfranchised especially women. One third of the population live under the poverty line. The regime is looking for the answer to the people’s rightful protests in suppression, detentions, the gallows, and executions. The despotic regime of the Islamic Republic has executed 64 people across the country accused of various charges, including disrespect to the religion, for political and civic activity to drug related charges.
These sentences and executions take place at a time when many of the accused are denied access to due process and the law, including the right to choose their own defence lawyer, and at times the death sentence is handed out in a trial taking only a few minutes. The peaceful demonstrations of women, youth and workers, and other strata, are interpreted as being ‘at war with god’ or ‘at war with Islam’. Confessions that have been extracted in the regime’s torture chambers and broadcast on state television, are the sole evidence that the executions are based on.
According to Amnesty International, in 2022, the number of executions in Iran doubled. The report, dated 16th May 2023, states that the recorded executions in Iran have jumped from 314 in 2021 to 576 in 2022. At least 5 of those were executed for crimes committed when they were under the legal age of 18, mostly from poor economic backgrounds.
In the latest example, six individuals have been sentenced to execution, three of whom are a part of the case that has come to be known as ‘Isfahan House’. There is great concern in Iran and abroad about the executions being carried out imminently.
The lawyers who express concern at the injustice in the judicial system in Iran, are persecuted and some have been incarcerated in the regime’s prisons, such as Mohammad Najafi and AmirSalar Davoodi.
The regime uses executions and the taking of life to create a climate of fear in society, to suppress the people’s rightful demands and to continue its dictatorial rule. The poison gas attacks on girls’ schools is another heinous crime that the regime of the Islamic Republic has conducted in the last few months in order to punish schoolchildren for having taken part in protests against mandatory hejab and against the regime. More than 12,000 girls have been poisoned in these attacks throughout Iran.
Dear comrades,
Today the lives of scores of people is in danger of execution. The Democratic Organisation of Iranian Women appeals to all progressive forces, especially women’s organisations to protest against these summary executions which are carried out without giving the accused the chance of defence, and to put all pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran to stop these executions. We must not allow the regime’s executions, torture, and silent deaths to continue to take the sons and daughters of our country from their families.
The unconditional freedom of political prisoners in Iran is the urgent demand of our people’s freedom movement.
Democratic Organisation of Iranian Women
17th May 2023
