10 October- World Day Against the Death Penalty
Join us as we call for an end to the cycle of executions in Iran
19th World Day Against the Death Penalty: Women and the death penalty, an invisible reality. The World Day Against the Death Penalty unifies the global abolitionist movement and mobilizes civil society, political leaders, lawyers, public opinion to support the call for universal abolition of capital punishment.
On 10 October 2021, the World Day will be dedicated to women; those at risk of being sentenced to death, those who’ve received a death sentence, and those who have been executed.
To date, Iran is the world record holder in both executions per capita and execution of women and minors.
Discrimination against women harshens the plight of women and girls in Iran even when it comes to the death penalty. Thousands of women and girls have been sent to the gallows in the past 4 decades, some without even being identified and some in their early teens and as young as 13 years old; the regime has made clear time and again that it will not show mercy to anyone, from 70 year old mothers to pregnant women who were killed by firing squads at the gallows.
Just in the summer of 1988 over 30,000 political prisoners were executed in summary executions with 2-3 minute trials based on a fatwa by Khomeini and seen through by ‘Death Commissions’ which included some of the highest ranking officials including Raisi.
As Iranians are denouncing Raisi for his role in the 1988 massacre, they call on the international community to act to end impunity. The cycle of executions in Iran will not stop until impunity is lifted and Khamenei, Raisi and other heads of the regime are prosecuted in an international court for crimes against humanity and genocide.
5 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO END THE DEATH PENALTY
TAKE ACTION
- Join one of 20 gatherings organized by the Iranian diaspora in cities around the world; from Paris to London, Rome and Geneva, and from Amsterdam to Stockholm, Los Angeles and Toronto (email actioncenter@iranfreedom.org to check events near you!)
- Build partnerships with women’s rights organizations to spread awareness about plight of women in Iran and draw attention to the case of thousands of women and girls executed and those lingering in prison
- Participate in a TV show or within a community radio to raise awareness and join the call to prosecute Raisi for ongoing crimes against humanity; from the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners to executions carried out in the past week throughout Iran.
- Follow and repost the social media campaign on Twitter and Instagram: #NoDeathPenalty & #StopExecutionsinIran #ProsecuteRaisiNOW
- Show your support on social media during the tweetstorm on Sunday by posting a short video or a picture with the hashtag #ProsecuteRaisiNOW and calling for action from the international community. Download posters here
THANK YOU for continuing this new path of activism for a free Iran with us, and send us your feedback for this and future actions at actioncenter@iranfreedom.org!
In solidarity,
