Multiple members of parliament in Belgium signed a joint letter on Friday urging 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 that followed the Iranian governments’ announcement of an overnight fuel increase. The mass protests led to a crackdown where Iran’s security forces killed 321 citizens and many more were arrested and sentenced with “corruption on Earth” charges.

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 subject to torture during his detention and how his safety was jeopardized to the point where there could be irreversible human rights violations. The letter also urged the UN and member states of the EU to demand that Iranian authorities stop the execution of Vafa’i Thani to ensure the protection of his human rights.

Similarly, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) called upon the UN, EU and other human rights organizations to advocate for Vafa’i Thani’s release. In various separate letters, former ministers from Canada and other countries have written to the UN High Commissioner to express concerns about Vafa’i Thani’s death sentence. Many also called for stricter restraints on the Iranian government to prevent future human rights violations. Groups such as “Freedom-loving Iranians” and supporters of the PMOI/MEK have held rallies supporting the revocation of Mohammad’s death penalty and to support other political prisoners in similar situations.

Vafa’i Thani’s lawyer, Dr Babak Paknia, tweeted that the death penalty sentence will be subject to appeal in the Supreme Court as soon as he receives it.