International Political Prisoners’ Day: Joint call to free political prisoners and prisoners of conscience and halt executions

The full text of the joint call follows:

Ahead of International Political Prisoners’ Day on 30 October, we, the signatories to the Oslo Document on Human Rights Principles, call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, a halt to executions and an end to torture, enforced disappearances and the use of imprisonment as a tool of repression. This is our first joint action under the document.

No one should be imprisoned for expressing an opinion, taking part in political or civic activity, defending human rights, working as a journalist or lawyer, engaging in trade union activity, or taking part in strikes or protests. Everyone imprisoned for exercising their fundamental rights must be released immediately and unconditionally.

Political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Iran hold a wide range of views and come from different regions, communities and walks of life. Some, including Zeinab Jalalian, Saeed Masouri, Hamzeh Savari and Kamal Sharifi, are serving life sentences or very long prison terms. During their years in prison, they have faced prolonged denial of prison leave or barriers to obtaining appropriate medical care.

A number of political prisoners and protesters are also at risk of execution. Pakhshan Azizi and Varisheh Moradi, two Kurdish women held as political prisoners, have been sentenced to death. Some of those arrested in connection with the nationwide protests have also been sentenced to death or face charges that can carry the death penalty. The rise in executions, particularly of protesters and political prisoners, makes immediate action all the more urgent.

We call on political parties and organisations, civil society and human rights groups, activists and members of the public in Iran and abroad to mark this day by sharing the names and photographs of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, drawing attention to their cases and organising peaceful events and gatherings to build broad support for their release.

We urge governments committed to human rights, the European Union, the United Nations and other international bodies to prioritise the release of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience and an immediate halt to executions in all their dealings with the Islamic Republic.

Serious human rights violations in Iran must not go unanswered. Drawing on extensive documentation and findings, including Amnesty International’s reports Trampling Humanity and Architects of Atrocities, reports by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran, and documentation published by Iran Human Rights, we call for criminal investigations into crimes against humanity in Iran. Where sufficient evidence establishes a basis for individual criminal responsibility, those who ordered or committed these crimes, including senior officials of the Islamic Republic, should be prosecuted and brought to trial. Ending impunity is essential to securing justice and preventing these crimes from recurring.

Let us speak the names of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, share their photographs and make sure imprisonment does not hide them from public view in Iran or around the world.

Oslo Document Follow-up Group

* Iran Human Rights set up the Oslo Document Follow-up Group to advance joint action based on the human rights principles agreed at the Oslo conference. The group includes representatives of the following parties and organisations: Democratic Solidarity Party of Al-Ahwaz, Left Party of Iran, Azerbaijan Democratic Party, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, Azerbaijan Democracy and Development Party, Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), Worker-Communist Party of Iran (WPI), Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, Komala Party of Kurdistan, Balochistan People’s Party, Strategic Council of Republicans inside Iran and Turkmen Sahra Cooperation Council.