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Executions Spark Condemnations, Protests

May 19, 2023
1 min read
Executions Spark Condemnations, Protests

Islamic Republic forces have secretly buried the bodies of three protesters executed in Isfahan this morning. Iranians have meanwhile been seen chanting slogans condemning the “Republic of executions” in cities across the country.

According to information obtained from 1500tasvir activists, Saeed Yaqoubi's body was secretly buried in a village in Isfahan. Saleh Mirhashemi was laid to rest in Baltaq, a village in Boyin and Miandasht, while Majid Kazemi was buried in the Habibabad cemetery of Isfahan. Each burial was undertaken by Iran’s security forces.

***

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that the execution of Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi and Saeed Yaqoubi “exemplifies the regime’s brutality against its people.”

“We condemn these reprehensible killings in the strongest possible terms,” she tweeted, adding that Australia “stands with the people of Iran.”

***

Amnesty International’s Secretary-General Agnes Callamard said that Majid Kazemi, 30, Saleh Mirhashemi, 36, and Saeed Yaqoubi, 37, were executed only because they were protesting.

“Our thoughts go out to their families and friends. The Islamic Republic of #Iran uses death penalty to instill fears, to quash dissent. Unconscionable,” Callamard wrote in a tweet.

***

Iranian authorities arrested the brother of Majid Kazemi outside the prison where he had been executed.

Mohsen Kazemi was arrested by security forces while he was holding a protest in front of the facility in Isfahan, according to Iran's human rights news agencies. 

***

Iran's most prominent Sunni cleric again called for a halt in executions in Iran, saying that the Islamic Republic’s increasing use of the death penalty will not succeed in quelling popular calls for fundamental reforms.

"A nation can’t be suppressed by executions," said Molavi Abdulhamid, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of the south-eastern city of Zahedan.

"They are a consequence of a distorted interpretation of religion,” the 76-year-old cleric added. “I want to assure the global community that these executions are in no way representative of the Islam religion.”

After Friday prayers, Zahedan residents took to the streets for weekly protests and shouted slogans against the Islamic Republic and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

***

The executions have drawn widespread condemnation both within Iran and internationally. Despite numerous appeals from the international community, the Iranian judiciary proceeded with the execution of the three protesters.

News of the executions and secret burials has sparked a significant backlash among Iranian citizens. 

In neighborhoods of Tehran such as Tehranpars, Negin Gharb, Saadatabad, and Tehransar, outraged protesters voiced their anger with chants such as "Death to the youth-killing government," "Death to the killer Khamenei," and “Curses to Khomeini,” referring to the founder of the Islamic revolution, in response to the executions.

Amid the mounting discontent, multiple groups have called for strikes and protests against the Islamic Republic. 

Notably, the "Youths of Isfahan and Suburbs" group issued a call for a strike to publicly mourn the execution of these three young men. 

Their appeal urged individuals from diverse backgrounds, including retired teachers, farmer workers, ranchers, students, businessmen, and homemakers, to join the strike and express solidarity across Iran.

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