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Urgent Appeal by Sepideh Gholian to the German Federal Government’s Human Rights Commissioner: Immediate Action Demanded to Halt Executions and End the Torture of Political Prisoners in Iran Sepideh Gholian, an Iranian human rights activist and former political prisoner who spent several years imprisoned in the Islamic Republic of Iran, has addressed an urgent letter to Prof. Dr. Lars Castellucci, the German Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance. In her letter, she calls for decisive international action to prevent executions in Iran, ensure independent investigations into the torture and ill-treatment of political prisoners, guarantee fair trials and due process, and hold those responsible for serious human rights violations accountable. The letter is dated October 12, 2026 (20 Mehr 1405 in the Iranian calendar) and, according to the information contained in the document, was written in the Iranian city of Dezful. In her letter, Gholian recounts her personal experiences during years of imprisonment, describes the systematic repression of women, torture, and mistreatment in Iranian detention facilities, and issues a powerful warning against allowing the victims of the protests during the Iranian month of Dey to be reduced to mere numbers and statistics in the political calculations of the international community. Firsthand Testimony of Torture and Serious Human Rights Violations At the beginning of her letter, Sepideh Gholian refers to her years of imprisonment in the Islamic Republic of Iran. She emphasizes that she has firsthand knowledge of conditions inside Iranian prisons, the repression of women, torture, ill-treatment, and violations of fundamental human rights. During her imprisonment, she witnessed the suffering and mistreatment of numerous fellow prisoners. Some of these individuals were subsequently subjected to harsh judicial sentences, including death sentences. Gholian stresses that the consequences of state repression extend far beyond physical injuries. Psychological pressure, intimidation, threats, denial of contact with family members, and restrictions on access to independent legal counsel are among the methods used to deprive prisoners of an effective defense and their fundamental right to a fair trial. In her letter, she emphasizes: “Confessions obtained through coercion or torture must never serve as the basis for a criminal conviction.” Out of concern for the safety of former fellow prisoners and their families, Gholian has deliberately refrained from disclosing names or details that could expose those individuals to additional risks. At the same time, she underscores her personal and moral responsibility to bear witness to what she has experienced and observed and to advocate for independent and impartial investigations into human rights violations. Criticism of Reducing Victims to Numbers and Statistics A central part of the letter addresses the international community’s treatment of the victims of protests in Iran during the month of Dey. Gholian expresses profound concern that the human dimension of the violent suppression of the protests is gradually disappearing from public and political consciousness. What causes her particular pain is the growing tendency to perceive those who lost their lives during the protests merely as numbers in international statistics. Behind every number, however, stands a human being — an individual with a personal history, a family, hopes, aspirations, and a future that was violently taken away. Gholian describes the reduction of victims to statistical figures as a form of dehumanization that pushes both the dignity of those killed and the suffering of their families into the background. In one of the most powerful passages of her letter, she declares: “We are not numbers. We are not instruments of international politics. We are human beings whose lives, dignity, freedom, and rights must be respected.” These words also challenge political approaches in which the fate of victims of state repression risks being subordinated to diplomatic interests, geopolitical considerations, or international power calculations. Demand for Immediate Measures to Prevent Further Executions In the following section of her letter, Gholian explicitly calls upon Prof. Dr. Lars Castellucci to use his political mandate and human rights responsibilities to advocate for the immediate suspension of executions in Iran. She places particular urgency on cases involving evidence of torture, forced confessions, or serious violations of fundamental guarantees of due process. She further calls for: - Unrestricted access for all detainees to independent legal counsel. - Regular and unhindered communication between prisoners and their families. - Independent and impartial investigations into all credible allegations of torture and ill-treatment. - Judicial review of convictions and sentences imposed through proceedings that violated fundamental due process rights. - Effective protection measures for prisoners facing immediate danger and for their family members. - Thorough investigations into serious human rights violations and legal accountability for those responsible. At the heart of these demands lies the protection of human life and the unconditional respect for human dignity. Appeal to Germany: Human Rights Policy Must Go Beyond Political Statements Sepideh Gholian calls upon the international community, and particularly the Federal Republic of Germany, not to remain passive observers in the face of continuing human rights violations in Iran. She expects Germany to make consistent and effective use of its diplomatic, political, and human rights mechanisms to confront structures of state repression and hold those responsible for serious human rights violations accountable. Her appeal is not limited to public condemnations or diplomatic statements. Rather, she calls for concrete, transparent, and effective measures to protect people whose lives and fundamental rights are at risk. Gholian emphasizes that a credible international human rights policy must take the experiences of victims seriously, amplify the voices of political prisoners, and recognize the inherent and inalienable dignity of the people of Iran. Toward the end of her letter, she makes an urgent appeal: “The world must look at Iran. More importantly, however, it must see the people of Iran, hear their voices, and recognize their human dignity.” She further declares with particular emphasis: “No human being should be sentenced to death and sent to the gallows on the basis of torture, forced confessions, or an unfair trial.” The Recipient of the Letter and the German Federal Government’s Position on the Death Penalty Prof. Dr. Lars Castellucci has served as the German Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance since May 2025. On October 10, 2026, marking the World Day Against the Death Penalty, Castellucci stated in an official declaration that capital punishment is incompatible with human dignity and that Germany, together with the member states of the European Union, opposes the death penalty under all circumstances. He also reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to the worldwide abolition of capital punishment and its support for civil society initiatives working toward this objective. Sepideh Gholian’s letter is dated October 12, 2026, two days after this public statement. The demands outlined in her letter therefore relate directly to the human rights policy responsibilities of the German Federal Government Commissioner. The International Community’s Responsibility to Protect Human Life In the concluding section of her letter, Sepideh Gholian acknowledges Prof. Dr. Lars Castellucci’s commitment to human rights and expresses her hope that her experiences, warnings, and specific demands will receive serious consideration. She urges the German Federal Government to continue and strengthen its efforts to protect the lives, freedom, and fundamental rights of the people of Iran. The central message of her letter is clear: International human rights policy must not be limited to symbolic condemnations. What is required are concrete measures to prevent further executions, independent investigations into torture and ill-treatment, guarantees of fair judicial proceedings, and systematic accountability for state-sponsored human rights violations. Gholian also reminds the international community that victims of political repression must never be reduced to anonymous statistical figures, treated as bargaining chips in international politics, or forgotten as individual cases within diplomatic relations. Official Submission of the Letter to the German Federal Foreign Office on October 13, 2026 Of particular significance is the fact that Sepideh Gholian’s letter was officially submitted on October 13, 2026, during a formal meeting at the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany. The meeting brought together a delegation consisting of lawyers, human rights activists, and relatives of victims of state repression, alongside representatives of the Federal Foreign Office responsible for human rights and for matters concerning the Middle East and Iran. The letter addressed to Prof. Dr. Lars Castellucci, the German Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance, was formally presented to the relevant officials of the Federal Foreign Office. The purpose of the submission was to bring the urgent human rights concerns expressed in the letter directly to the attention of the responsible German authorities and to encourage their concrete examination and follow-up. The discussions focused particularly on demands for an immediate halt to executions, independent investigations into the torture and ill-treatment of political prisoners, and consistent action against serious violations of fundamental human rights in Iran. Participation of Victims’ Families and Representatives of the Human Rights Movement Among those participating in the meeting were Sholeh Pakravan, Maria Mahmoudi, and Rada Fatehi, who, as relatives of victims of state repression, are committed to truth, justice, and accountability for human rights violations. Their participation highlighted the essential importance of the perspectives of families who have lost loved ones and who continue to struggle for truth, recognition, and justice. Also present was Saeid Dehghan, a lawyer associated with the “Yek Kalameh” (“One Word”) network and producer of the documentary film The Court of History. Dehghan addressed, in particular, the importance of transitional justice, the systematic and legally reliable documentation of human rights violations, and the necessity of holding both direct perpetrators and those bearing political and institutional responsibility accountable. The discussion emphasized that meaningful accountability for serious human rights violations requires more than the determination of individual criminal responsibility. It also demands the preservation of evidence, recognition of victims’ suffering, and the establishment of legal and institutional foundations for future justice processes. Behrouz Asadi, a human rights activist and spokesperson for the “Woman, Life, Freedom” Association in Germany, also participated in the meeting. Direct Dialogue with the German Federal Foreign Office: Human Rights Must Lead to Concrete Political Action The meeting at the Federal Foreign Office provided an important opportunity to bring the voices of victims’ families, former and current political prisoners, and individuals affected by serious human rights violations in Iran directly into political and diplomatic dialogue with the German Federal Government. The delegation emphasized the urgent need to make the protection of prisoners at risk, the prevention of further executions, and accountability for torture and state violence concrete priorities of Germany’s human rights policy toward Iran. Particular emphasis was placed on the principle that human rights violations must not remain merely the subject of political declarations. Instead, they require a consistent, long-term, and verifiable human rights response. Sepideh Gholian’s letter and its official submission to the German Federal Foreign Office therefore represent a fundamental demand: The experiences of victims and their families must be heard, their rights must be protected, and those responsible for serious human rights violations must be held accountable. Human dignity, the right to life, freedom, and justice must never be subordinated to political interests or become subjects of diplomatic compromise. The international community, and particularly the Federal Republic of Germany, is called upon to fulfill its human rights commitments through determined, credible, and effective action. Yours sincerely, Behrouz Asadi Human Rights Activist Spokesperson for the “Woman, Life, Freedom” Association in Germany