RAHANA interviews Shirko Moarefi’s mother

RAHANA interviews Shirko Moarefi’s mother

“Our children belong to the young generation of this land, and they are its most valuable asset.
Don’t execute them.”

Shirko Moarefi

Mohsen Kakeresh - Shirkoo Moarefi is one of 21 Kurdish political prisoners currently awaiting execution in Iran. On two separate occasions his family asked the Islamic Republic leader [Ali Khamenei] to use his powers to overturn their son’s death sentence. In spite of the pleas and the efforts [that were also] made by his lawyer, Shirko still sits on death row and may be executed at any moment.

Shirko’s mother, Roghiyeh Ebn-Abass told RAHANA that she sees no difference between her son and other political prisoners who are awaiting execution: “Our children belong to the young generation of this land, and they are its most valuable asset. Don’t execute them.”

RAHANA interviews Shirko Moarefi’s mother:

RAHANA: What are the latest developments on Shirko’s case?

Roghiyeh: His sentence was upheld by the Court of Appeals. During the first court, he was represented by Messrs Loghman Rayzan and Ahmad Shaikhi. Currently, Mr. Khalil Bahramian is in charge of Shirko’s defense. He states that Shirko’s situation is uncertain and remains unchanged.

RAHANA: Has Mr. Bahramian ever commented on whether Shirko’s sentence could be reduced?

Roghiyeh: All his lawyers have always been optimistic about the possibility of a sentence reduction, but their efforts have been unsuccessful.

RAHANA: What was your son charged with?

Roghiyeh: My son was arrested last year. He was tried and charged with acting against national security and ‘Moharebeh. ‘ He was [consequently] sentenced to death. Since his arrest on October 2, 2008, he has been detained by the Ministry of intelligence.

RAHANA: During his first trial, Shirko was sentenced to death for alleged ties to a Kurdish opposition group. Did your son ever take part in armed operations?

Roghiyeh: Not at all. All the residents of the village where he was arrested can testify that Shirko was not carrying arms when he was arrested. He has never been part of any armed struggle against the Islamic Republic. I am very grateful to the residents of that village who got together and signed a witness statement which his lawyers were able, after much effort, to introduce as evidence.

RAHANA: What steps have you taken to stop the execution?

Roghiyeh: Before the election, when the Leader [Khamenei] was on a trip to Sanandaj, we sent him a letter with the names of prisoners on death row, and urged him to grant them clemency. It took a lot of effort to deliver the letter to him. We have also written to international organizations asking for their help to stop or reduce Shirko’s sentence.

Additionally, during a visit to Tehran, the Iraqi president Jalal Talabani asked for Shirko’s sentence to be overturned. Unfortunately, his efforts have failed to bring results. Regardless, our family is very grateful to him for all his efforts to stop the execution of Kurdish political prisoners.

RAHANA: Are you allowed to visit your son?

Roghiyeh: Yes, Wednesdays are visit days and we always go see him then. His physical condition has been better in recent visits.

RAHANA: What are your demands from human rights organizations and government officials?

Roghiyeh: Not only Shirko, but all prisoners belong to the young generation of this land. We don’t see a difference between our son and others. They are all innocent and have mothers who are waiting for them to come back. I am calling on all human rights organizations not to remain silent about the prisoners on death row. I also want to ask the officials to review all the cases and dismiss their charges.