An Iranian woman, Zahra Shahbaz Tabari, a 67-year-old retired electrical engineer, has been condemned to death for her involvement in protests following the 2022 unrest, sparking international outcry [[1]]. The case, which involved a reported ten-minute trial held remotely, underscores growing concerns about the fairness of the Iranian judicial system and its handling of dissent [[1]], [[2]],[[3]]. Former global leaders are now calling for her immediate release as pressure mounts on Iran’s human rights record.
A 67-year-old woman has been sentenced to death in Iran for participating in protests sparked by the nationwide unrest of 2022, according to a letter signed by a group of former world leaders. The case highlights the ongoing crackdown on dissent within the country and raises concerns about due process in the Iranian judicial system.
Zahra Tabari received the sentence in October following what signatories described as a “simulacrum of a trial of ten minutes, held by video conference without the presence of her lawyer.” The letter details that Tabari’s alleged crime was holding a banner with the slogan “Woman, Resistance, Freedom,” a variation of the widely used protest chant “Woman, Life, Freedom.”
The appeal for Tabari’s release was drafted by the London-based organization Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran and signed by former heads of state from Switzerland, Ecuador, Finland, Peru, Poland, and Ukraine. “We demand the immediate release of Zahra and we call on governments around the world to stand with Iranian women in their struggle for democracy, equality, and freedom,” the letter states.
The development underscores the continued pressure on activists and protesters in Iran following the widespread demonstrations that began in 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of morality police. The international community has frequently criticized Iran’s human rights record, and this case is likely to further fuel those concerns.
