Iran: Protests imminent executions and further death sentences despite CHF 100 million aid: “Switzerland could do more against hunger”

Only on Saturday did the regime in Iran execute two men. Her crime: «War against God». In Iran, several death sentences have been handed down to protesters since the protests began four months ago and four have already been carried out – one of them in public.

And soon the next will die: 22-year-old Mohammad Ghobadlou and 19-year-old Mohammad Boroughani. At least that is what appears from reports in online media.

According to the New York Times, Ghobadlou was arrested in the city of Karaj. Iran’s judiciary has sentenced him to death for allegedly setting fire to a government building and injuring a security officer. Boroughani is a hairdresser and was arrested in Tehran shortly after the protests broke out in late September. He is suspected of hitting a police officer.

protests in front of the prison

The men’s death sentences had been upheld by the Supreme Court and according to “Al Jazeera”, both had now been transferred to solitary confinement. This has raised concerns among families and activists that executions are imminent. The judiciary has not yet said when the executions will take place.

Dozens of people protested on Monday against what appeared to be the imminent execution of the two protesters, activists said. Videos show a crowd gathering outside the notorious Gohardasht detention center in Karaj, near the capital Tehran.

Relatives of the men also rushed there. Ghobadlou’s mother says in a video:

In fact, in court, Ghobadlou quoted from his medical record, which shows a history of mental illness, as “Al-Jazeera” writes. However, a state psychologist testified that he must have been aware of his actions.

Amir Raesian, Ghobadlou’s lawyer, reported in a tweet early Mondaythat he had appealed his client’s death sentence – which is why the Supreme Court is legally bound to stay the execution sentence pending review.

Three more death sentences and two prison terms

Meanwhile, the judiciary issued further rulings on Monday in connection with the systemic protests: five men were given provisional execution sentences for “war against God”, according to the official news agency of the Iranian judiciary.

As the justice portal Misan announced on Monday, the convicts are charged with killing three security officers in the central Iran city of Isfahan in November. Their names are: Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeid Yaghoubi.

In addition, former professional footballer Amir Nasr Azadani was sentenced to a total of 26 years in prison and another man to two years.

The verdicts can still be appealed.

Amnesty International, the United States and the European Union have strongly condemned the Iranian government’s death sentences and executions, saying they were carried out after “sham trials”, which the Iranian judiciary has rejected.

The star striker of the Iran national football team, Mehdi Taremi, tweeted Sunday:

The protests continue

Meanwhile, people in Iran continue to protest. Sunday’s demonstrations marking the third anniversary of the downing of the Ukrainian PS752 passenger jet by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were the largest in more than a month, according to a report by the Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW). ) Monday. People took to the streets in at least 17 cities.

Since the plane was shot down, the survivors have been fighting for justice. The Boeing machine was shot down by Iranian air defenses on January 8, 2020, shortly after takeoff from Tehran, amid military tensions with the United States. All 176 passengers were killed. In a final report, Iran spoke of “human error” and agreed to pay compensation. To this day, next of kin are of the opinion that those responsible have not been sufficiently held accountable.

The latest wave of protests in Iran was triggered by the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in police custody on September 16, 2022. The Iranian Kurd was arrested by the so-called moral police for violating Iran’s Islamic dress code. Since then, there have been repeated protests against the repressive course of the government and the Islamic regime.

(yam, with material from sda/dpa)