Iran
Marzieh Afkham, director of general human rights and women at Iran’s foreign ministry. Photo: Iranian Foreign Ministry/handout
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Saturday accused the European Parliament of "meddling in judicial processes" after it passed a resolution condemning the death penalties handed down to two Kurdish women.
“The judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a professional and independent body, and judicial processes in Iran are always based on law and conducted through fair trial procedures,” Marzieh Afkham, director of general human rights and women at Iran’s foreign ministry, shared in a statement.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers any foreign interference aimed at meddling in judicial processes and functions as contrary to the principles and rules of international law and rejects it,” she added.
Her comments were in reaction to a resolution passed in the European Parliament on Thursday condemning the death penalties for two Kurdish women in Iran, who the legislature said were denied fair trials.
Pakhshan Azizi was sentenced to death in June 2024 on charges of “armed rebellion,” accused of being a member of an armed Iranian Kurdish group. Wrisha (Varisheh) Moradi was sentenced to death by a Tehran court last November on charges of “armed insurrection.” She was accused of being a member of the armed group Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK).
Their death sentences have drawn international criticism and sparked protests in Kurdish areas of western Iran (Rojhelat).
After the Woman Life Freedom (Jin Jiyan Azadi) protests of 2022, Iranian authorities have “intensified their use of the death penalty to instill fear among the population and tighten their grip on power,” especially targeting minority populations like Kurds and Baluchis, as well as women, according to Amnesty International.
“The judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a professional and independent body, and judicial processes in Iran are always based on law and conducted through fair trial procedures,” Marzieh Afkham, director of general human rights and women at Iran’s foreign ministry, shared in a statement.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers any foreign interference aimed at meddling in judicial processes and functions as contrary to the principles and rules of international law and rejects it,” she added.
Her comments were in reaction to a resolution passed in the European Parliament on Thursday condemning the death penalties for two Kurdish women in Iran, who the legislature said were denied fair trials.
Pakhshan Azizi was sentenced to death in June 2024 on charges of “armed rebellion,” accused of being a member of an armed Iranian Kurdish group. Wrisha (Varisheh) Moradi was sentenced to death by a Tehran court last November on charges of “armed insurrection.” She was accused of being a member of the armed group Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK).
Their death sentences have drawn international criticism and sparked protests in Kurdish areas of western Iran (Rojhelat).
After the Woman Life Freedom (Jin Jiyan Azadi) protests of 2022, Iranian authorities have “intensified their use of the death penalty to instill fear among the population and tighten their grip on power,” especially targeting minority populations like Kurds and Baluchis, as well as women, according to Amnesty International.
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