Businesses in several Kurdish cities, including Sanandaj, Mahabad, Saqqez and Divandarreh, went on a general strike today following a call by Kurdish political parties in response to the death sentences issued against Pakhshan Azizi, Verisheh (Wirishe) Moradi and other Kurdish political prisoners.
The strike was also reported in parts of market places in several other cities in Kurdistan.
In a show of solidarity, 35 women political prisoners in Evin Prison have joined the protest by going on hunger strike.
The strikes come amid reports that the Intelligence Organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Ministry of Intelligence have been summoning, threatening, and interrogating Kurdish civilians and activists in cities across Kurdistan in recent days.
In a further escalation, security forces have been conducting mass arrests in cities such as Piranshahr and Sardasht, in an apparent effort to instil fear in the local population.
According to Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) sources, the strike in Sanandaj, Mahabad, Saqqez and Divandarreh is widespread, and police responsible for policing public places have reportedly either sealed off or marked dozens of shops for possible closure if the strike continues.
Security officials have warned shopkeepers through phone calls and text messages that their businesses will be closed if they continue the strike, KHRN has learned.
In an apparent attempt to divert public attention and discourage participation in the strike, several state news agencies in Iran reported this morning that the death sentence for Pakhshan Azizi had been “postponed”. These reports were later contradicted.
As the strike continued, Pakhshan Azizi’s lawyer, Mazyar Tataei, announced on his X (formerly Twitter) account that the Supreme Court had agreed to halt the execution under Article 478 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
This article suspends the execution until a request for a retrial is considered. However, no official changes have been made to Azizi’s death sentence.