Seven political prisoners in Rajai Shahr prison in protest to the increased executions in Iran and Ramin Hosseinpanahi death sentence confirmation, wrote a letter asking all the international communities, human rights groups, and all the communities of conscientious to fight for abolishing this inhumane punishment.
Part of this letter reads: Under any circumstances, the execution is a state murder and unfortunately, we witness that in Iran, not only this punishment has not decreased in the last 100 years, it has increased day by day and has been used as a punishment for political prisoners. The latest of these sentences that we witness is the dead sentence for Ramin Hosseinpanahi, that may be implemented at any moment.
Read the full text of the letter, quoted from Campaign.
Execution Under any Circumstances is a State Murder;
“” Over the decades and centuries, the death sentence has been the main type of punishment in all societies. At present time, more than 100 countries have fully banned this inhumane punishment as a constitutional amendment or conditionally for peacetime. Unfortunately, we witness that in Iran, not only this punishment has not decreased in the last 100 years, it has also increased day by day and has been considered as a punishment for political prisoners. After the Constitutional Revolution, many people have been killed with this inhumane order because of their political activities, both in the Pahlavi regime and in the current regime. In the last instance of these sentences, we witness that the execution of Ramin Hosseinpanahi, a political prisoner, is confirmed by judicial authorities and can be implemented at any moment.
We few political prisoners in Gohardasht Prison (Karaj) are announcing that execution under any circumstances is a state murder and while condemning all death sentences for any reason and in any way, we are demanding that this inhumane sentence be abolished and asking all international communities, human rights groups, and all the communities of conscientious to fight for abolishing this inhumane punishment.”
Saeid Masory, Zaniar Moradi, Saeid Shirzad, Arash Sadeghi, Payam Shekiba, Loghman Moradi, Majid Asadi
Ramin Hosseinpanahi, a political activist, was arrested on June 23th, 2017, and after 200 days of solitary confinement and going through extreme physical and mental torture was transferred to the Sanandaj Central Prison. Ramin was sentenced to death on January 15th, 2018, in Sanandaj Revolutionary Court Branch One. The verdict was reaffirmed on April 11th, 2018, at Branch 39 of the Supreme Court in Qom.
According to the report, the Sanandaj public prosecutor’s office will execute Ramin death sentence after the month of Ramadan, which ends on June 14th, 2018.
In related to the confirmation of the verdict of this political prisoner, three United Nations experts issued a statement on April 19th, 20118, demanding that Ramin death sentence be stopped and expressed their concern for the mistreatment and torture of prisoners in Iran.
Ramin Hosseinpanahi ‘s death sentence was issued even though he denied all alleged charges, such as participation in the armed conflict. The lawyer of the Kurdish political prisoner also considered the sentence unexpected and unjust.
Following the announcement of Ramin Hosseinpanahi’s death sentence, a new wave of protest was formed inside and outside Iran. A wide range of Kurdish organizations, including the Center of Kurdish Parties Alliance, different populist clubs, civil and political citizens centers, educational group, writers, artists, various social institutions, poets, marketers, guilds, ex-representatives of various parliamentary time, cultural activists, The Iranian Democratic Council, and dozens of other political and civil organizations, issued various statements and announcements in Kurdistan, Iran, and in some provincial cities and towns in Europe and Canada. They have protested, condemning Ramin Hosseinpanahi’s death sentence and other execution sentences of political, civil and different believer’s prisoners in Iran. They also announced their support for Ramin Hosseinpanahi.
Amnesty International in an announcement demanded immediate action against the imminent execution of Ramin Hosseinpanahi. According to the announcement, the verdict issued to Ramin Hosseinpanahi was followed by a severely unfair trial following four months of compulsory disappearance. The organization has affirmed that security and judicial authorities have transferred Ramin Hosseinpanahi to solidarity confinement in revenge and his conviction and punishment are in contravention of international law and should be lifted.