The Kurdish Women's Movement in Europe (TJK-E) released a statement strongly reacting to the death sentences against two female activists in Iran. Women's rights defender Pakhshan Azizi was sentenced to death on 23 July and Sharifa Mohammadi on 4 July. Both were subjected to severe torture and inhuman treatment during weeks of detention.

“Throughout history, hegemonic powers have tried to suppress the Kurdish people's struggle for freedom, which has been created with great cost and labour for years, through oppression, displacement, torture, massacres and assimilation. No matter how opposed they are to each other, when it comes to the Kurdish people and their gains, the local powers in the region have also come to an arrangement and allied with the enemy in genocidal policies in line with their interests. Barzani and his family's servitude to this policy despite the reactions of the peoples living in the region shows us how deep a betrayal they are in,” said the TJK-E statement on Friday, which further included the following:

“The arrests, massacres, femicide, ecocide, migration and military operations carried out by the Turkish fascist state in Bashur (South Kurdistan) with psychological and special warfare techniques as in Bakur (North Kurdistan), as well as its use of internationally banned chemical weapons against the Kurdish freedom movement remain fresh in our memory. Of course, these forces, which aim to take over the entire raison d'être of the Kurdish people through genocide policies in Bashur, Bakur, Rojava (West Kurdistan) and Rojihilat (East Kurdistan), are not alone in doing so. The partnership of the USA, Russia and other NATO countries corresponds to the policy of the local forces.

Efforts are being made to implement the same policies against the Kurdish people in Rojhilat today. The Iranian state’s attempt to crush the struggle for freedom with oppression, just like the fascist Turkish Republic, has revealed the spirit of popular uprisings and resistance that started with the killing of Jina Mahsa Amini in 2022. The women's stance against the oppressive Mullah regime has become vitalised with the philosophy of ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ [Woman, Life, Freedom] and inspired women's movements around the world. Women who are resisting the invaders' oppression of societies through women in the region and in the four parts of Kurdistan, have today raised the struggle even more and shouted out that they will not submit to the enemy and masculine mentalities.

We condemn the regime in Rojhilat that sentenced women's rights defender and journalist Pakshan Azizi and Sharifa Mohammadi to death after severe torture. We call on all our women's organisations to stand in solidarity to raise the common struggle against the misogynist Iranian regime.”