441-02691 (Foreign affairs)

WHEREAS:

• After the killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a 22-year-old woman, on September 16th, 2022 by morality police, her funeral turned into a large protest against the government in her hometown, Saqez. At her funeral, women removed their headscarves, a bold civil disobedience, and the participants chanted Woman, Life, Freedom and death to the dictator;

• Since that day, young people in Iran bravely risk their lives by fighting empty-handed against the IRI military repressive forces. These brave people fight for democracy and normal life. They ask for equal rights for all genders, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, opinions, and beliefs;

• The IRI not only killed more than 500 protester since September 2022, but also has done mass arrests, systematic torture, arbitrary, summary and extrajudicial convictions, and executions of detainees. According to Amnesty International in the last few weeks, the Islamic Revolutionary Court convicted tens of protesters to death sentences in sham trials. Majidreza Rahnavard, a 23-year-old man, was executed on December 12, 2022 in Mashhad. Mohsen Shekari, a 23-year-old man, was executed on December 8, 2022 in Tehran. According to Iran Human Rights, the IRI has executed more than 500 persons in 2022 and at least 100 protesters are facing executions death penalty charges;

• European Parliamentarians have been taking the political sponsorships for imprisoned protesters and those who are under death sentences; and

• The sponsorship helps protect the fate of the imprisoned protesters by 1) publicly announce their political support, meet or send message to the IRI's representatives and asking for reliable information about the fate of the imprisoned protesters and their immediate release, and 2) continuously share news regarding the situation of the imprisoned protesters in the (social) media.

We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, request all members of the House of Commons to provide political sponsorship for the imprisoned protesters in Iran, especially those under the imminent risk of execution. We request each member to provide political sponsorship for one or more imprisoned protesters, giving priority to the protesters who have been sentenced to death and are under threat of imminent execution.