Petition for the Revocation of the Death Sentence and Release of Sharifeh Mohammadi
3
Signatures
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Goal
To: The Judiciary and Government Authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran
21 August 2025
We, the undersigned, protest the death sentence against Sharifeh Mohammadi, a 45-year-old Iranian labor rights activist, industrial design engineer, and mother. We demand the revocation of this sentence and her immediate release.
Sharifeh Mohammadi was arrested on December 5, 2023 in Rasht by Ministry of Intelligence agents. For months, her family was given no information about her whereabouts. During detention she endured solitary confinement, torture, and denial of legal counsel, including beatings intended to force a confession.
In July 2024, Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht sentenced her to death for “armed rebellion against the state” (baghi). Yet no evidence of armed activity was ever presented. The so-called evidence consisted only of peaceful civic activities: possessing an anti-death penalty poster, writing about women’s roles in protests, keeping files on female political prisoners, and participating in a labor rights Telegram group.
Iran’s Supreme Court later overturned the verdict, citing lack of evidence and serious legal flaws, and ordered a retrial. But the retrial was conducted with grave irregularities: the presiding judge was the son of the first judge, her lawyer was again denied adequate time, and hearings were conducted by video conference. The same flawed verdict was reissued. In August 2025, the Supreme Court shockingly upheld the death sentence, despite its earlier ruling that the case lacked legal foundation.
Ms. Mohammadi has consistently denied any link to armed groups and maintains that her activism was peaceful. Even taken at face value, the charges do not meet the legal threshold for “baghi,” which requires proof of armed uprising.
Legal and Human Rights Concerns
1 - Violation of Iranian Constitutional Rights
- - Article 35 guarantees the right to counsel. Ms. Mohammadi was denied this during crucial stages.
- - Article 38 prohibits torture and voids confessions extracted under duress. Her treatment blatantly violated this.
- - Article 37 presumes innocence until proven guilty. No credible evidence was ever provided to support her conviction.
2 - Misuse of the Charge of Baghi
The crime of baghi refers to armed rebellion. In this case, no evidence of arms or violence was presented. Treating labor activism as armed rebellion is a distortion of law.
3 - Denial of Fair Trial
Trials were conducted under biased circumstances, with inadequate defense, reliance on coerced statements, and familial ties between judges. This undermines judicial independence and impartiality.
4 - Breach of International Obligations
Iran is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
- - Article 6 limits the death penalty to the “most serious crimes,” understood to mean intentional killing.
- - Article 7 prohibits torture.
- - Articles 21 and 22 guarantee freedom of assembly and association.
Ms. Mohammadi’s case violates all of these provisions.
5 - Arbitrary and Disproportionate Punishment
The death penalty for peaceful activism is disproportionate and constitutes arbitrary deprivation of life. It reflects the broader use of capital punishment in Iran as a tool of intimidation against political and social activists.
Our Demands
In light of these violations, we call on Iranian officials to:
- Immediately revoke the death sentence of Sharifeh Mohammadi.
- Release her without conditions and clear her of all charges stemming from peaceful activism.
- If any judicial review continues, ensure a fair retrial before an independent court, with full access to counsel and exclusion of evidence obtained under torture.
- Investigate allegations of torture and hold those responsible accountable.
- Halt the execution of all political prisoners convicted under similar baseless charges, and declare a moratorium on the death penalty for political and security-related cases.
- Respect constitutional rights and international obligations, especially regarding the right to life, freedom of expression, and freedom of association.
- Protect and uphold the rights of labor activists and women’s rights defenders, ensuring they are not criminalized for peaceful advocacy.
Sharifeh Mohammadi is not a criminal; she is a mother, and a committed advocate for workers and women. Her sentencing to death on fabricated charges represents a miscarriage of justice and a violation of both Iranian law and international human rights standards.
Executing her would not only silence an innocent woman but also deepen the crisis of trust in Iran’s judiciary and government. We urge the authorities to show respect for justice and compassion by overturning this sentence, freeing Sharifeh Mohammadi, and reaffirming the principles of law and humanity.
We, the undersigned, call upon the judiciary and officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran to act immediately. By signing this petition, we affirm our solidarity with Sharifeh Mohammadi and all prisoners facing execution on unjust grounds.
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Province Number of signatures Alborz 0 Ardabil 0 Bushehr 0 Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari 0 East Azerbaijan 0 Fars 0 Gilan 0 Golestan 0 Hamadan 0 Hormozgan 0 Ilam 0 Isfahan 0 Kerman 0 Kermanshah 0 Khuzestan 0 Kohgiluyehv And Boyer Ahmad 0 Kurdistan 0 Lorestan 0 Markazi 0 Mazandaran 0 North Khorasan 0 Qazvin 0 Qom 0 Razavi Khorasan 0 Semnan 0 Sistan and Baluchestan 0 South Khorasan 0 Tehran 2 West Azerbaijan 1 Yazd 0 Zanjan 0 This petition has received 3 signatures so far. Approximately 75% of signatures come from Iran. Approximately 25% of signatures come from outside of Iran. Learn how Daadkhast generates signature maps. -
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من این دادخواست را امضا میکنم تا همبستگی خود را با شریفه محمدی و تمام زندانیانی که به دلایل ناعادلانه با اعدام روبرو هستند اعلام کنم.
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من این دادخواست را امضا میکنم تا همبستگی خود را با شریفه محمدی و تمام زندانیانی که به دلایل ناعادلانه با اعدام روبرو هستند اعلام کنم.
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A network of human rights activists in Iran started this petition
I sign this petition to affirm my solidarity with Sharifeh Mohammadi and all prisoners facing execution on unjust grounds.