Kurdish Iranian prisoner faces imminent execution, activists warn

Shafaq News/ On Monday, human rights activists and political figures raised alarm over the potential execution of Kurdish Iranian political prisoner Verisheh Moradi, detained for over a year and a half.

A statement signed by 247 political and civil activists warned that her death sentence could soon be upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court and carried out at any moment.

Moradi was arrested on August 1, 2023, by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj and later transferred to Tehran’s Evin Prison. In November 2024, Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran sentenced her to death on charges of "armed rebellion against the state" (baghi) due to alleged links with Kurdish opposition groups.

According to activists, she spent five months in solitary confinement, enduring "severe psychological and physical pressure" before her sentencing by Judge Abolqasem Salavati. They denounced the trial process, highlighting that "neither she nor her lawyer was allowed to present a defense."

Moradi’s contributions to women’s empowerment in Iraqi Kurdistan and Syria were also emphasized, with advocates arguing that her case is a "crackdown on Iranian women’s rights, not just an isolated incident."

Iran has witnessed a rise in executions, particularly against ethnic minorities and political dissidents. In 2024, at least 31 women were executed, marking the highest number recorded by Iran Human Rights (IHR).

Calls for an immediate halt to executions have intensified, with human rights organizations urging Iranian authorities to overturn death sentences against political prisoners and ensure fair trials. The growing crackdown has drawn global scrutiny, as more than 50 Kurdish political detainees and thousands convicted on drug-related charges remain at risk of execution.