Iran on Thursday executed for the first time a man sentenced to death for his involvement in the protest movement, sparking outcry abroad and warnings from NGOs of imminent further hangings.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is the scene of protests sparked by the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd who died three days after her arrest by vice police. She accused him of having violated the strict dress code, imposing on women the wearing of the veil in public in particular.
Mohsen Shekari, 23, was found guilty and sentenced to death for blocking a street and injuring a paramilitary at the start of the protests, following legal proceedings denounced as a show trial by rights groups of the person.
Others face imminent execution after being sentenced to hang in connection with the protests, the groups have warned.
“Mohsen Shekari, a rioter who blocked Sattar Khan Boulevard on September 25 and stabbed a Bassij with a machete, has been executed in Tehran,” the judicial authority organ, Mizan Online, announced. The Bassidji militia is linked to the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s ideological army.
The NGO Amnesty International said it was “horrified” by the execution and denounced an “unfair sham trial”. “His execution exposes the inhumanity of Iran’s so-called justice system while dozens of others face the same fate. »
“Sinister Escalation”
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR), called for a strong international response or “we will face mass executions of protesters”. “Mohsen Shekari was executed after a hasty trial without a lawyer. »
The execution also sparked outrage from Western countries and the UN.
The United States denounced a “sinister escalation” and affirmed that the Iranian power would be held to account.
Berlin considered that “the Iranian regime’s contempt for humanity is boundless”, London said it was “scandalized” and Rome judged that the “unacceptable repression on the part of the Iranian authorities cannot leave the international community indifferent”. .
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has ruled that the death penalty is “incompatible with human rights”.
Online media 1500tasvir published footage of what it claimed was the moment the Shekari family heard news of the execution outside their house in Tehran. They show a woman writhing in pain and repeatedly shouting “Mohsen!” »
According to Mizan Online, Mohsen Shekari had been accused of being an “enemy of God” and sentenced by the Tehran Revolutionary Court on 1er november. His appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court on November 20.
“#Do Not Execute”
The Iranian was found guilty of drawing “his weapon with the intent to kill” and “causing terror”, according to the judicial authority.
The Iranian agency Fars, close to the authorities, broadcast a video of Mohsen Shekari evoking the attack, while he was in detention. “Forced confessions”, denounced the IHR.
On Tuesday, an Iranian court sentenced five people to death for killing a paramilitary during protests, bringing the number of protest-related death sentences to eleven.
The Iranian power describes these demonstrations as “riots” encouraged above all by the United States, its sworn enemy.
The repression of the movement has killed at least 458 people since September 16, according to a latest report from the IHR.
Iran executes more convicts than any other country except China, according to Amnesty International. More than 500 people were executed there in 2022, according to the IHR.
Free speech group Article 19 called for urgent action, “as the lives of others on death row are in imminent danger”.
On Twitter, ex-Iranian football star Ali Karimi warned: “If we remain silent today, tomorrow we will use the hashtag ‘Do Not Execute’ for the rest of Iran’s children”.
With David Vujanovic in Nicosia