UN human rights experts today issued a statement calling for the immediate reversal of the death sentence of #Zahra_Shahbaz_Tabari, a 67-year-old political prisoner held in Rasht’s Lakan Prison.

 UN human rights experts today issued a statement calling for the immediate reversal of the death sentence of #Zahra_Shahbaz_Tabari, a 67-year-old political prisoner held in Rasht’s Lakan Prison. The statement said her case represents a serious violation of fair trial guarantees and the use of the death penalty in connection with vague and general charges of national security. The experts stressed that Ms. Tabari’s conviction was based solely on her possession of a cloth with the slogan “Women, Resistance, Freedom” and an unpublished audio message, and that this type of investigation and citation is inconsistent with international human rights standards.

In another part of the statement, the UN experts noted Ms. Tabari’s arrest without a court order, prolonged solitary confinement, denial of access to a lawyer of her choice, and the very short trial held via videoconference, stating that these violations severely distorted the trial process. They said that issuing and carrying out the death sentence in such circumstances is considered arbitrary under international law. The experts also announced that they are in contact with Iranian authorities and have called for immediate intervention to prevent the execution of this sentence.