Ali-Panah indicated that this incident followed the broadcast of a program by the Fars News Agency, an outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which targeted Pakhshan Azizi and Verisheh Moradi.
The program accused them of being affiliated with the PJAK organization, participating in the Mahsa Amini protests,[b] and returning to Iran to advance their activities against the government, alleging their presence in "safe houses."
[11] The Kurdish Red Crescent and the Shams Rehabilitation Organization, located in northeastern Syria, have provided translated official letters that attest to Pakhshan Azizi's role as a social worker.
[1] One particular letter, signed by Maja Hess, the founder of a Swiss non-profit humanitarian organization engaged in health-related initiatives across several countries, including northeastern Syria, affirms that Pakhshan Azizi volunteered in social work, specifically aiding women and children in distress at the Nowruz camp located in the Derik area for refugees from Shingal.
Another letter from the Shams Rehabilitation and Development Organization indicates that Pakhshan Azizi provided social work services at the Al-Hawl refugee camp in Al-Hasakah from September 2017 to December 2021, where she assisted women and children who had been victims of war and violence.
[1] In an audio statement published by the BBC, Aziz Azizi, Pakhshan’s father, stressed that his daughter was indeed a social worker and that her activities were consistently peaceful throughout all stages of her legal case.
He remarked, "The circumstances surrounding Pakhshan's case lack logical consistency; it is implausible for an individual to undertake simultaneous short-term training in dentistry, politics, and military affairs.
[15] On January 14, 2025, a consortium of United Nations independent human rights experts articulated significant concern regarding the Iranian Supreme Court’s decision to affirm the death sentence of Pakhshan Azizi.
[16] The United Nations experts expressed alarm upon receiving reports that Azizi had endured severe psychological and physical torture in solitary confinement, ostensibly to extract a confession.
In a message confirmed by BBC Persian, Rahnavard asserted, "The authorities have a responsibility to revoke the death sentence of Pakhshan Azizi, a socially conscious activist, and to effect her release."
She underscored that the cancellation of this sentence should serve as a pivotal action that opens the doors of prisons and reunites all advocates for freedom with society, prioritizing the liberation of women incarcerated throughout our cherished nation, Iran.
Accompanying her message, Zahra Rahnavard shared a painting dedicated to "the courageous women of Iran who endure the oppression of tyranny," concluding her statement with the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom," which has its origins in Kurdish culture.