Iran
Mohsen Shekari, 23, hanged in Iran on December 8, 2022 over the nationwide protests. Photo: Mohsen Shekari via Amnesty International/Twitter
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The news of Iran carrying out its first known execution of a protester on Thursday sparked outrage and condemnation from human rights watchdogs and western countries.
Mohsen Shekari, 23, was hanged after being convicted of of “moharebeh” a term which means “waging war against God.” He had been detained on September 25 for reportedly wounding an officer of the Basij, the militia of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “with a machete,” according to the judiciary website Mizan Online.
Amnesty International said it was “horrified” by the execution it says was the result of a “grossly unfair sham trial.” The watchdog called on the international community to urge the Iranian regime to stop any plans of further executions and to “stop using the death penalty as tool of political repression against protesters.”
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said he was “outraged” by the news, adding that “the world cannot turn a blind eye to the abhorrent violence committed by the Iranian regime against its own people.”
Outraged by the tragic news of the first execution of a protestor in Iran.
— James Cleverly🇬🇧 (@JamesCleverly) December 8, 2022
The world cannot turn a blind eye to the abhorrent violence committed by the Iranian regime against its own people.
The UK is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances.
"This execution comes on top of other serious and unacceptable violations," French foreign ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre was cited by AFP as telling reporters.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the execution showed that the regime “inhumanity knows no bounds” following a trial she called “perfidious.”
Protests spread throughout the country in the aftermath of the death of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini at the hands of the morality police on September 16, sparking a violent crackdown by Iranian security forces, particularly the IRGC and the Basij.
At least 475 protesters have been killed since protests broke out, including 65 children, according to the latest tally by US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). Thousands of others have been arrested for participating in protests.
Eleven death sentences have been issued by an Iranian court over the protests, the majority being related to the targeting of Basiji members. HRANA reported that 61 members of the security forces have been killed since the protests began.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment