247 women's rights activists from Iran and Eastern Kurdistan (Rojhilat) issued a written statement condemning the death sentence against Warisha Moradi, a member of the Eastern Kurdistan Free Women’s Community (KJAR).

The statement described the death penalty as a deliberate act of state-sanctioned killing. It emphasized that the sentence was not only imposed on Warisha Moradi but also targeted all Kurdish women who have led the struggle against reactionary forces and fascism for the past 100 years and have consistently been sacrificed by ruling powers.

The statement said: "Warisha Moradi was arrested by security forces under the Iranian Ministry of Interior for her activism in defense of women's rights in Northern and Eastern Syria. She has now been sentenced to death, and there is an imminent risk that the Supreme Court may approve and enforce the sentence at any moment. For years, Warisha Moradi taught kung fu to underprivileged children in the Kurdish city of Sanandaj in East Kurdistan. She was also an activist involved in civil society efforts for women and students."

She fought against ISIS in Rojava

In 2010, Moradi traveled to the Kurdistan region, where she continued her social activism within KJAR. She engaged in scientific research for the community, conducted educational initiatives, and worked in solidarity with women’s movements across the Middle East. In 2014, when ISIS launched attacks on Shengal and Rojava, Warisha Moradi joined Kurdish forces in the fight against ISIS in Rojava. She was wounded while defending Kobanê. As a Kurdish women's rights activist, she stood alongside those who fought against ISIS for women's freedom. Severely injured in the battle for Kobanê, Moradi played a significant role in empowering women and raising awareness in the Kurdish regions of Syria after Kobanê’s liberation.

Right to defense denied

Moradi later returned to Iran to continue her social work. On 1 July 2023, despite being unarmed, she was arrested by security forces. She was held in solitary confinement for five months, subjected to both physical and psychological pressure. She was then brought before Iran’s Revolutionary Courts, where Judge Abolqasem Salavati sentenced her to death on charges of rebellion. Neither Moradi nor her lawyers were allowed to present a defense.

Trial boycott

On 4 August, Moradi refused to attend her court hearing in protest of the unjust sentences given to Pakshan Azizi and Sharifa Mohammadi. Instead, she submitted her defense in writing. In her statement, she declared: "ISIS beheads us, and the Islamic Republic of Iran hangs us." Following this final defense, Branch 5 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office charged her with rebellion under Article 288 of the Islamic Penal Code and sentenced her to death. However, according to this article, the charges against her should not have led to such a severe sentence. The law states that "if members of a rebellious group are arrested before engaging in armed conflict, they face a third-degree prison sentence if the organization and its headquarters still exist; if the organization has been dismantled, they receive a fifth-degree prison sentence."

Despite this, Judge Abolqasem Salavati unlawfully sentenced Warisha Moradi to death without any legal basis.

Statement condemns death sentence imposed on Warisha Moradi

The signatories of the statement said that they "unequivocally condemn all death sentences. We believe that the death penalty, in all circumstances, constitutes a deliberate act of state-sanctioned killing. Furthermore, we emphasize that this ruling is not only a sentence against Warisha Moradi, but also a sentence against all Kurdish women who have been at the forefront of the struggle against reactionary forces and fascism for the past 100 years as women who have continuously been sacrificed by ruling powers."

Stand against inhumane rulings

The signatories added: "We also condemn the death sentences issued against Pakshan Azizi and Sharifa Mohammadi, and we draw attention to the more than 50 political prisoners and thousands of individuals convicted on drug-related charges who currently face execution in Iranian prisons. We call on everyone who opposes the death penalty, regardless of their political views, to take a stand against these inhumane rulings and to use every possible means to prevent these state-sanctioned executions from being ignored. Fighting against such sentences requires unity and solidarity from every member of society."