Iranian activists called for protests on the streets of Iran on Friday, a day after the first execution of a convict involved in the protest movement. Organizations and nations around the world have begun to impose a new round of convictions and sanctions.
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“We call for the death of Mohsen Shekari, a martyr for the freedom of our country, and against the execution of our imprisoned comrades,” said the Youth Collective from Tehran’s neighborhoods on social media.
In response, the UK imposed a series of sanctions, including on Iranian officials whom it accused of imposing “heinous sentences” against protesters.
For its part, Iran defended that it is acting with the “greatest restraint” in the face of the unleashed wave of protests.
We won’t stop until the system that kills children is overthrown
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, died on September 16 after being arrested by the morality police for violating the dress code, which requires women to wear veils.
Mohsen Shekari was hanged on Thursday, after being convicted of blocking a Tehran street and wounding a paramilitary on September 25., after a legal process that various groups defending human rights described as a “farce”. “We will not stop until the system that kills children is overthrown,” added the activists who call on cities to demonstrate in the streets.
The judiciary said the 23-year-old man was arrested after stabbing a member of the Basij militia, a paramilitary force linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, with a machete, causing a wound that required 13 stitches. . The announcement sparked outrage abroad. Several NGOs warned that new executions could be carried out soon.
(Also: Iran sentences five accused of killing paramilitary to death)
Amnesty International declared itself “appalled” by the execution, which “shows the lack of humanity of the alleged Iranian judicial system”for which many others will have to deal with “the same fate”.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR), based in Norway, called for a firm response from the international community to prevent the Islamic Republic from continuing to apply the death penalty. Shekari was “sentenced to death in a farce without due process,” he said.
For his part, the German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, urged the Iranian authorities to put an end to the repression of the peaceful mobilizations that have been taking place in the country for three months against oppression. “I urgently appeal to the religious and political leaders in Tehran: Stop the violence against children, women and men who are peacefully demonstrating in the streets and squares of Iran. Respect human rights, which are binding both on Iran and on all other countries of the world
more demonstrations
Shekari was buried 24 hours after his execution in the presence of a few relatives and security forces. in the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in Tehran, according to the media portal 1500tasvir.
His execution led to more protests and calls to demonstrate. In the evening, protesters gathered on the street where Shekari was detained, chanting: “They took our Mohsen from us and returned his body to us!”, according to a video shared by 1500tasvir.
In the Chitgar district of the capital, the slogans “Death to the dictator” and “Death to Sepah” were heard, in reference to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the Guardians of the Revolution. Hamed Esmaeilion, a Canadian-Iranian activist who organized protests in Berlin, Paris and other cities, affirmed that more marches were called for this weekend.
“Regardless of belief and ideology, join these rallies to protest the brutal execution of #MohsenShekari,” he tweeted. According to 1500tasvir, Shekari’s execution was arranged in such a hurry that his family was still awaiting the outcome of his appeal.
Western countries also expressed their dismay. The United States called this first execution a “disastrous escalation” and assured that it will hold “the Iranian regime accountable for the brutal violence it is committing against its own people.”
Germany summoned the Iranian ambassador after the execution and its foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, assured that “the Iranian regime’s contempt for human life knows no bounds.” Austria, France and Italy also condemned the execution.
(Also: Protests in Iran shake the power of the ayatollah)
Iran claims to exercise “restraint”
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, described the execution as “very worrying” and affirmed that, with it, the government seeks to “send a message” of fear to the protesters. While the Iranian regime defended its policies and accused Westerners of hypocrisy.
“To counter the riots, Iran has shown the greatest restraint and, unlike many Western regimes (…) used methods riot gear moderate”said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.
“Same as in the judicial process: moderation and proportionality,” he tweeted Thursday night. The IHR organization, which says at least 458 people have been killed in the crackdown on the protests, has warned that Iran has executed more than 500 people this year.
On Tuesday, an Iranian court sentenced five people to death for killing paramilitaries during protestswith what are already eleven death sentences, alerted groups defending human rights.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING*
*With information from AFP and EFE
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