Eleven Kurdish political activists and civilians are currently sentenced to death in Iran, and at least eight others are at risk of receiving similar sentences, said a recent report by the Kurdish Human Rights Network (KHRN).

According to the information, some of those sentenced were arrested during the "Jin Jiyan Azadî" uprising against the government following the death of Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini in September 2022.

"They were subjected to unjust conditions, including denial of access to selected lawyers, severe physical and psychological torture, and unfair trials that led to the imposition of inhumane death sentences. The families of these prisoners and human rights organizations have drawn attention to their critical situation, the risk of death sentences being confirmed, and the possible execution of the death sentences imposed. They have called for the annulment of these sentences and for immediate attention to be paid to the poor conditions of the prisoners." 

Six Kurds sentenced to death for "armed rebellion"

Six Kurdish political prisoners - Pakhshan Azizi, Varishah Moradi, Hatem Özdemir, Yousef Ahmadi, Mehrab Abdollahzadeh and Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heidaranlou - have been sentenced to death by Islamic Revolutionary Courts for "armed rebellion" (baghi) and "enmity against God" (moharebe). They are currently being held in the central prisons in Urmiye (Urmia) and Sine (Sanandaj) and in Evin Prison in Tehran.

Özdemir and Ahmadi face imminent execution

The cases of Azizi, Moradi, Abdollahzadeh and Hosseinnezhad Heidaranlou have been referred to the Supreme Court for appeal and are awaiting a new trial. However, the death sentences for Ozdemir and Ahmadi were upheld by the Supreme Court, meaning they are in imminent danger of execution.

Five Kurds sentenced to death for "spying for Israel"

In addition, five other Kurdish civilians – Shahin Vasaf, Azad Shojaei, Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul, Edris Ali and Nasser Bekrzadeh – were sentenced to death by the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Urmiye accused of "spying for Israel". They are currently detained in Urmiye Central Prison and their cases are being considered separately by the Supreme Court.

Death sentence threatened against eight more Kurds

Meanwhile, eight Kurdish civilians and activists Ali Ghassemi, Pezhman Soltani, Kaveh Salehi, Rizgar Beygzadeh Baba-Miri, Javanmard Mam-Khosrawi, Mohammad Faraji, Raouf Sheik-Maroufi and Soleyman Adhami, many of whom were arrested by security forces in Sine and Bukan during the "Jin Jiyan Azadî" uprising, remain in custody in the central prisons of Urmiye and Bukan. They are accused of serious offenses such as "armed insurrection" (baghi), "spreading corruption on earth" (Efsad-e Fil-Arz) and "enmity against God" (moharebe). "The charges against them have raised serious concerns about the likelihood of death sentences in their cases," warned the KHRN.

The report, which was published in English and other languages, contains detailed information about those affected and the allegations and legal proceedings against them.