Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish woman humanitarian worker and civil society activist, was sentenced to death by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran in July 2024. She was convicted of “armed rebellion against the state” despite her work being limited to helping displaced women and children in northeast Syria and engaging in peaceful activism.
She was arrested in August 2023 at her family home in Tehran along with relatives, who were also prosecuted on related charges. During detention, she faced repeated violations of her rights: reports of torture, denial of medical care, and long periods without family contact. Authorities also opened new cases against her in prison, including charges of “rioting” for participating in peaceful protests with other detainees.
Azizi’s lawyer has made clear she never engaged in armed activity. Even the official verdict contains no evidence of armed confrontation. Instead, her punishment is linked to her activism, hunger strikes, and efforts to defend the rights of Kurds and women from prison.
Her case reflects the wider crackdown on ethnic minorities in Iran, especially Kurds, who face systematic discrimination, arbitrary arrests, and a disproportionate number of executions. The death sentence against Azizi shows how Iranian authorities use the death penalty to punish those who stand up against injustice.
Source: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/kurdish-woman-activist-sentenced-death
