The Women's Press Union (YRJ) launched a campaign on 12 August against the Iranian state's death penalties against journalist and social worker Pakshan Azizi and activist Sharifeh Mohammadi. Pakshan Azizi was sentenced to death on 23 July and Sharifeh Mohammadi on 4 July. Both women were subjected to severe torture and inhuman treatment during weeks of detention.

As support for the campaign is increasing day by day, Women's Press of Ezidxan, Young Women's Union and Shengal Stiya Nexşa Culture and Art Centre released a joint written statement announcing their support for the YRJ's ‘No to the Death Penalty’ campaign.

“We strongly condemn the Iranian regime's death sentence against Pakshan Azizi and Sharifeh Mohammadi, which is completely unacceptable. This decision is directed against all women. We express once again that no power can break the will of women and stop the march for freedom. The wave of women's revolt that started in East Kurdistan and Iran after the murder of Jina Amini and spread around the world has increased the attacks against women. We strongly reject all kinds of attacks on women. Executing a woman is one of the cruelest methods that mankind can resort to. If women's struggle and quest for freedom could be prevented by execution, it would have been prevented by the execution of Shîrîn Elemhulî, Reyhane Jabari and many other women. However, it is seen that executions have only increased women's anger, strengthened their quest for freedom and made them organise themselves more against this misogynist system,” said the joint statement on Tuesday.

The statement continued: “In the current period, when women everywhere are fighting for freedom with the spirit of ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ [Woman, Life, Freedom], no power can break the will to struggle. Pakshan Azizi and Sharifeh Mohammadi, two comrades in the freedom march, have been fighting injustices against women. Pakshan Azizi, as a woman journalist, wanted to be the voice of women and report on their struggles. Sharifeh Mohammadi also fought against all kinds of injustice against women and femicides. Zeinab Jalalian was also sentenced to death, but the united struggle of women made the Iranian regime take a step back. If the struggle had been strengthened and made permanent, life imprisonment would have been abolished. This example shows us that if a united struggle is waged and public pressure is increased, even the most repressive regimes will be forced to back down. In this period, such a stance and attitude are expected from all of us and everyone.”

The statement recalled that Yazidi women have suffered a great deal due to genocides and that Yazidi women see it as a humanitarian and moral duty to put a stop to this decision.

The statement concluded: “As the Women's Press of Ezidxan [Yazidi Land], Young Women's Union, Shengal Stiya Nexşa Culture and Art Centre, we call on all women who walk freely in the line of ‘Jin Jiyan Azadî’ to react against the death penalty and penalties against women's rights. Let us raise the struggle against the death sentence given to comrades Pakshan Azizi and Sharifeh Mohammadi. In this sense, we support the campaign organised by the Women's Press Union with the slogan ‘No to the death penalty.’

Once again, we call on all women to raise their struggle in a spirit of unity against the male-dominated, misogynist system. The ‘Jin Jiyan Azadî’ women's revolution will surely win.”