“Dear and valued friends, I send you my warmest greetings from Iran. Here in Iran, we are in the midst of a civil society struggle against the death penalty, for women’s right to freely choose their clothing, and for freedom of expression. This struggle also encompasses our right to determine our destiny in our dealings with the world, in peace and friendship with the international community.

… Iranian society bears the burden of this struggle with awareness and determination … In the name of humanity and the spirit of global solidarity, we have received valuable support from human rights organisations like the ISHR. We sincerely thank them for this solidarity and hope that this support will not only continue but also be expanded.”

Sotoudeh, a member of the board of trustees of the German ISHR section, addressed the participants at the 53rd annual meeting. Although she can be imprisoned and flogged at any time due to arbitrary sentences, she raises her voice with persistent courage against the cruelty of the dictatorship, in particular against recent executions and the threat of the death penalty. She strongly condemns this reprisal measure against the “Women, Life, Freedom Movement” and calls for its general abolition. The capital penalty serves as a deterrent to prevent any resistance, she warns that this will only fuel the spiral of violence. The Tuesday campaign “No to the Death Penalty” has now been running in Iran for almost 70 weeks.

In particular, it calls for action on behalf of activists Peshkan Azizi, Warisha Moradi, and Sharifeh Mohammadi, who were sentenced to death based on “politically motivated charges” in “obvious retaliation against the ongoing Woman-Life-Freedom movement.” The ISHR believes that the best way to help these courageous women is through public attention, particularly through “political sponsorships.”

We receive significant support for this goal from parliamentarians who use their political clout to advocate for political prisoners. In the past, the influence of politicians has led to significant improvements for the vast majority of prisoners, including reduced sentences or even release. The ISHR’s sponsorship program is constantly growing.