Amnesty International says the Iranian regime is executing individuals to spread fear and take revenge on protesters who stand up against the Islamic Republic.
Responding to the Iranian authorities’ public execution of Majidreza Rahnavard, Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said Monday “the horrific public execution…exposes Iran’s judiciary for what it is: a tool of repression sending individuals to the gallows to spread fear and exacting revenge on protesters daring to stand up to the status quo.”
The Islamic Republic hanged a second protester, Majidreza Rahnavard in less than a week in public on Monday after charging him with the alleged killing two members of security forces.
Eltahawy further added that the arbitrary execution of the youth “lays bare the extent of the Iranian authorities’ assault on the right to life and their disregard for even maintaining a façade of meaningful judicial proceedings.”
Amnesty urged the international community to take all necessary measures to pressure the Iranian authorities to stop executions and annule death sentences.
The body has identified 20 people at risk of execution in connection with the protests among them 11 sentenced to death.
Three individuals, according to Amnesty, have undergone trials on capital charges and are either at risk of being sentenced to death or may have already been sentenced to death, with no publicly available information on their status.
Six others may be awaiting or undergoing trial on charges carrying the death penalty, stated the international human rights organization.