December 13, 2022
Cited article by Farnaz Fassihi, The New York Times
HRRC condemns the executions of Majidreza Rahnavard and Mohsen Shekari in Iran. The protests continue in Iran while the world watches, yet no country has intervened. The Iranian government must cease its executions immediately. The international community must put pressure on Iran and support and protect the civilian protestors.
Article Summary
After months of ongoing protests, Iran has begun executions of protestors who have allegedly committed crimes against the government and its security forces. On Monday, a 23-year-old man, Majidreza Rahnavard, was publicly hanged from a construction crane in the northwestern city of Mashhad. The first execution, of Mohsen Shekari, took place on Thursday at a prison near Tehran. These are the most recent acts against the protestors by their government. Human rights groups state that over 450 protestors have died, and the UN estimates over 14,000 people have been arrested.
The executions are viewed as a last attempt by the Iranian government to quell the ongoing protests. Rights groups claim that the trials of both Rahnavard and Shekari resembled "lynching committees" and had no due process. Their executions led to immediate public outrage in the form of further protests chanting, "With each person killed a thousand will rise up,” and, “Those who are sitting, you will be next”.