Several members of parliament in Belgium signed a joint letter On Friday, he urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to prevent the execution of Mohammad Javad Vafa’i Thani. Vafa’i Thani was initially arrested for his role in the 2019 Iranian anti-government protests following the Iranian governments announcement of an overnight fuel hike. The mass protests led to a crackdown in which Iran’s security forces killed 321 citizens and many more were arrested and convicted on charges of “corruption on Earth”.
Vafa’i Thani was recently sentenced to death for sympathizing with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The joint letter outlined how Vafa’i Thani was subjected to torture during his detention and how his safety was jeopardized to the extent that there could be irreversible human rights violations. The letter also urged the UN and EU member states to demand that the Iranian authorities halt the execution of Vafa’i Thani to ensure the protection of his human rights.
Similarly, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) called on the UN, EU and other human rights organizations to advocate for Vafa’i Thani’s release. In several separate letters, former ministers of canada and other countries have written to the UN High Commissioner to express their concern over Vafa’i Thani’s death sentence. Many also called for tighter restrictions on the Iranian government to prevent future human rights violations. Groups such as “Freedom-loving Iranians” and supporters of the WIPO/MEK have celebrated rallies support the revocation of Mohammad’s death sentence and support other political prisoners in similar situations.
Vafa’i Thani’s lawyer, Dr. Babak Paknia, he tweeted that the death penalty will be subject to appeal before the Supreme Court as soon as it is received.
