Amnesty International has called on Iran to “immediately” release Kurdish humanitarian aid worker Pakhshan Azizi and halt her execution, condemning her trial as “grossly unfair.” The 40-year-old was sentenced to death in June 2024 on charges of “armed rebellion” for her alleged membership in Iranian Kurdish groups, including the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK), which Tehran designates as terrorist organizations.

“The international community must immediately urge the Iranian authorities to halt the execution of arbitrarily detained humanitarian aid worker Pakhshan Azizi, who was sentenced to death following a grossly unfair trial before a Revolutionary Court last year,” said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Azizi’s request for a retrial was rejected by Iran’s Supreme Court last Friday, according to her lawyer. Her legal team has denied the charges, stating that she never took up arms and was instead working as an aid worker in refugee camps in northeast Syria (Rojava) and Shingal (Sinjar), where she assisted those affected by Islamic State (ISIS) attacks.

Amnesty International emphasized that Azizi was detained solely for her humanitarian activities and called for her immediate and unconditional release. “Instead of facing imminent execution, she should be freed,” the organization stated. It also highlighted that Azizi’s allegations of torture, ill-treatment, and gender-based violence during her detention were ignored, further undermining the fairness of her trial.

“The death penalty is abhorrent in all circumstances; but imposing it after a grossly unfair trial before a Revolutionary Court, in which Pakhshan Azizi’s allegations of torture and other ill-treatment, including gender-based violence, have gone uninvestigated, renders its use arbitrary and illustrates yet again the Iranian authorities’ shameless disregard for the right to life,” Amnesty added.

The United States and the European Union have also called on Iran to overturn Azizi’s death sentence, with both expressing concerns over the lack of due process in her case. Iran remains one of the world’s leading executioners, ranking second globally for known executions, according to Amnesty International’s reports.

Azizi’s case has drawn international attention to Iran’s treatment of Kurdish activists and humanitarian workers, as well as its use of the death penalty following flawed judicial processes. As pressure mounts on Tehran, human rights organizations and global leaders continue to demand justice for Azizi and an end to her unjust sentencing.