PARLIAMENT OF CATALONIA
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Calle de Jerez, 5.
Chamartin, 28016 Madrid
Your Excellency,
Through this letter, we, the undersigned deputies, the President of the Parliament of Catalonia, and the entirety of the parliamentary board, along with the spokespersons of the European Union and Foreign Action Commission from the parliamentary groups PSC, Junts, ERC, Comuns, and CUP, including Ruben Wagensberg, who has sponsored the defense of the case of Ms. Pakhshan Azizi, address you to express our deepest concern about the situation of Ms. Azizi. According to available information, she has been sentenced to the death penalty in Iran.
Ms. Azizi is a renowned humanitarian worker from the Kurdish ethnic minority, who has devoted much of her life to helping refugees and victims of violence. Her commitment to human rights and her humanitarian work have been widely recognized.
UN experts have expressed their alarm following the Supreme Court of Iran’s decision to uphold the death sentence against Ms. Azizi. According to the statement issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, this decision is deeply concerning and highlights severe irregularities in the judicial handling of her case. The UN has urged Iranian authorities to halt the execution and ensure a fair trial in accordance with international human rights standards.
Additionally, international organizations such as Amnesty International have called for her release and have denounced the serious irregularities in the judicial process she has faced. According to Amnesty International’s report (document MDE13/8585/2024), Ms. Pakhshan Azizi’s case raises serious concerns about the lack of procedural guarantees and the use of evidence obtained under coercion. These practices violate international human rights standards and underscore the urgent need for a review of her situation.
The death penalty is met with widespread rejection at the international level, as it represents a violation of fundamental human rights, particularly the right to life, as enshrined in Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this regard, we, the undersigned members of various parliamentary groups, request that you convey to the Iranian government our plea for clemency for Ms. Azizi. We strongly urge that her release be guaranteed and that the death penalty imposed on her be avoided.
The international community continues to follow this case with great concern, as it significantly impacts the global perception of respect for fundamental rights in your country. In this context, we earnestly request that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights be considered in the judicial process and the tribunal’s decision.
We remain available for any dialogue or clarification on this matter, trusting that this request will be received in the spirit of understanding and humanity that the situation requires.
Thanking you in advance for your attention, we send you our kind regards,
Palace of the Parliament, January 16, 2025
Josep Rull i Andreu, President of the Parliament
Raquel Sans Guerra, First Vice-President of the Parliament
Gloria Freixa i Vilardell, First Secretary of the Parliament
Juli Fernandez Olivares, First Vice President of the Parliament
Rosa Maria Ibarra Olle, Third secretary of Parliament
Judit Alcala Gonzalez, Fourth Secretary of the Parliament
Ruben Wagensberg Ramon, Spokesperson at the CUEAE of the ERC
Andres Garcia Berrio, Spokesperson at the CUEAE of the Commons
Laura Fernandez Vega, Spokesperson at the CUEAE of the CUP-DT