Image: Amnesty International Canada

GENEVA, Dec 23, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - More than 400 prominent women, including 
four Nobel laureates and several former presidents and prime ministers, 
demanded Tuesday that Iran immediately release engineer and activist Zahra 
Tabari, fearing she faces imminent execution.

The urgent public appeal charged that Tabari, a 67-year-old mother, was 
handed a death sentence in October following "a sham 10-minute trial, held 
remotely via videoconference without her chosen legal representation".

The letter, which was organised by a London-based association of families of 
victims called Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran, said 
Tabari faced "execution solely for holding a banner bearing the words 'Woman, 
Resistance, Freedom'."

The banner was an apparent play on "Woman, Life, Freedom", a popular slogan 
during the 2022 nationwide protests sparked by the death in Iranian custody 
of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

There was no mention in Iranian official media about her case, nor 
confirmation that she had been sentenced to death.

Nonetheless, a group of eight independent United Nations rights experts also 
issued a statement Tuesday demanding Iran "immediately stop the execution" of 
Tabari, saying she had been found guilty of "baghi", or armed rebellion, 
based solely on the banner and an unpublished audio message.

"Ms. Tabari's case shows a pattern of serious violations of international 
human rights law regarding fair trial guarantees and the inappropriate use of 
capital punishment for broad and ill-defined national security offences," 
they said.

The experts, who are mandated by the UN Human Rights Council but do not speak 
on behalf of the world body, stressed that the International Covenant on 
Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Iran, restricts use of the death 
penalty to the "most serious crimes".

"This case involves no intentional killing and contains numerous procedural 
violations," they said, insisting that "to execute Tabari under these 
circumstances would constitute arbitrary execution".

Tuesday's joint appeal, signed by the former presidents of Switzerland and 
Ecuador, as well as the former prime ministers of Finland, Peru, Poland and 
Ukraine, charged that the case laid bare the "terror" faced by women for 
decades in Iran, which is "today the world's number one executioner of women 
per capita".

According to Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), Iranian authorities have 
executed more than 40 women this year alone.

"In Iran, daring to hold a sign declaring women's resistance to oppression is 
now punishable by death," said Tuesday's letter, which was also signed by a 
slew of sitting judges, diplomats and current parliamentarians like US 
Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace.

"We demand Zahra's immediate release, and we call on governments worldwide to 
stand with the women of Iran in their quest for democracy, equality, and 
freedom."

The appeal said Tabari stood accused of collaborating with the opposition 
organisation People's Mujahedin (PMOI, also known by the Persian acronym 
MEK), which is banned in Iran.

PMOI told AFP she was one of 18 activists who were currently on death row in 
Iran for their affiliation with the group.