The site has published images of the public execution in the city of Meshed. It shows how a man with his hands tied is publicly hanged from a crane. Masked security forces and a crowd of dozens look on.
Iran executed its first prisoner linked to the protests on Thursday; Mohsen Shekari allegedly stabbed a member of the Basij paramilitary unit in central Tehran. According to Al Jazeera news channel, the regime wants to show that it is acting swiftly and harshly against the protesters. According to Amnesty International, “the clear objective of the Iranian authorities (…) is to instill fear in public opinion in a desperate attempt to cling to power and put an end to the popular uprising”.
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War against god
Like Shekari, according to Iranian justice, Rahnavard committed a “terrorist” act against two members of the Basij on November 17, two days later he was arrested for “war against god”. State television showed images of a man assaulting and stabbing another, the person who comes to the aid of the victim is then also stabbed, whereupon the attacker flees. Rahnavard was not allowed to choose his own lawyer, contest the evidence against him or ask for the trial to be held public.
Thank you
After the execution, the Khorasan judiciary chief thanked the police, security services and judiciary for carrying out the sentence as soon as possible. He also thanked them for meeting “the demands of the population to create order and security and to deal with rioters and lawbreakers”.
According to foreign human rights organizations, the crackdown on protests has now claimed the lives of more than 450 people, with Iran accounting for 200 dead. The Iranian regime also denies that its security forces are firing on protesters. Human rights groups warn more people will be executed for their part in protests, Iranian media have published 25 names of protesters sentenced to death. More than 18,000 Iranians have been arrested and detained in recent months.
Imminent EU sanctions
At a meeting today, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said EU ministers were preparing to adopt a “very tough” sanctions package against Iran over human rights abuses and drone supply to Russia. It is true that the EU and the US have already imposed sanctions on members of the Iranian government, but travel bans and asset freezes have had little effect; the sanctioned do not travel abroad or have property there.
In recent days, Australia and New Zealand have joined the US, EU, UK and Canada in blacklisting a range of Iranian officials and entities over their response to the protests, something Tehran has condemned.