Global Campaign to Save Ali Zarei: Iranians Rally Worldwide as 2022 Eye-Injury Survivors Join the Call
Ali Zarei, a political prisoner sentenced to death who lost the sight in one eye during the 2022 uprising, was moved on Monday, September 21, to solitary confinement for death-row prisoners at Ghezel Hesar Prison. Since then, concerns over the imminent risk of his execution have intensified.
Ali Zarei lost the sight in one eye after being shot by Islamic Republic forces during the nationwide 2022 uprising. After being arrested and later released, he left Iran and moved to Germany. He returned to Iran in recent months, where he was arrested again and sentenced to death.
Be his voice and use every possible means to save his life.
Iranians rally in cities around the world
From the early hours of Tuesday, September 22, Iranians gathered outside foreign ministries, embassies and broadcasters in cities around the world, demanding urgent international action to save the life of Ali Zarei and other political prisoners facing execution:
- Frankfurt: a gathering outside the U.S. Consulate; holding photos of political prisoners of the Lion and Sun National Revolution who face execution, demonstrators called for immediate action to prevent further executions by the Islamic Republic.
- Berlin: Iranians gathered outside the German Foreign Office with the call “SOS for Iran!”
- Lisbon: a gathering outside the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanding global action to halt political executions in Iran.
- Hamburg: a gathering outside German public broadcaster NDR protesting the media’s “deadly silence” on the imminent execution of Ali Zarei and calling for coverage and immediate international action.
- The Hague: a gathering outside the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanding immediate international action to save Ali Zarei and all political prisoners facing execution.
- Madrid: a gathering outside the U.S. Embassy with the call “Ali Zarei’s life is in danger!”
- Stockholm: Iranians in Sweden gathered outside the Islamic Republic’s embassy with the call “SOS for Iran! Save Ali Zarei!”
- Auckland: a gathering in front of TVNZ, New Zealand’s national broadcaster, demanding urgent global action to save Ali Zarei.
- Tokyo: a gathering outside Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urging the Japanese government to use all diplomatic channels to save Ali Zarei.
- Copenhagen: a symbolic protest performance by Iranians in Denmark against political executions by the Islamic Republic.
Appeals to European politicians
Dr. Amir Mobarez Parsta, Ali Zarei’s treating physician in Germany, urged European politicians to act to save his life:
“Ali Zarei committed no crime. He simply took to the streets for freedom and basic rights. He was shot in Iran and lost an eye, and after treatment in Germany and his return to Iran, he has now been sentenced to death and is in solitary confinement. I appeal to European politicians to use all diplomatic avenues to prevent the execution of this innocent young man.”
Danial Ilkhanipour, a German politician of Iranian descent and member of the Hamburg state parliament, also joined the #LastBreath campaign and urged the German government and the European Union not to stay silent on the Islamic Republic’s crimes, but to use all their political and diplomatic leverage to save Ali Zarei and stop executions in Iran.
Eye-injury survivors of the 2022 uprising speak with one voice
They gave their eyes, but refuse to let their comrade’s voice be silenced.
Nine eye-injury survivors of the 2022 National Uprising released a video message urging everyone not to remain silent in the face of the Islamic Republic’s crimes and to act to save Ali Zarei: Ghazal Ranjkesh, Erfan Ramizipour, Mersedeh Shahinkar, Majid Movafegh, Hossein Noori-Nikoo, Hamidreza Heydari, Salar Vatan-Shenas, Parsa Ghobadi and Ali Delpasand.
Ali Zarei faces execution for Iran’s freedom, and the eye-injury survivors stand united in demanding urgent global action to save his life.
Amplify their voice by repeating his name: Ali Zarei.