Amnesty International Warns of Imminent Execution of Five Detained Protesters in Iran

Amnesty International issued a statement warning of the serious risk of execution for Manouchehr Mohammadzadeh, Mansour Dahmarde, Mohammad Qobadlou, Mojahid (Abbas) Korkor, and Reza (Gholamreza) Rasayi, who were arrested during the nationwide protests of 2022. In the statement published on December 20, it was noted that torture and other ill-treatment were recorded against four of the five individuals facing execution, including beatings, electric shocks, suffocation, sexual violence, and deliberate denial of healthcare. The statement also mentioned that at least two others, named Saeed Shirazi and Abolfazl Mehri Hossein Hajilo, have been tried on charges that could lead to execution. Amnesty International expressed growing concerns about further executions related to the protests amid a significant increase in the use of the death penalty, with Iranian authorities executing at least 115 people in November alone. The organization warned that at least 15 more individuals are at risk of execution, and eight have been executed following severely unfair trials. Amnesty highlighted that these individuals faced highly unjust trials in revolutionary courts or criminal courts across the country, including in Alborz, Tehran, Kermanshah, Khuzestan, and Sistan and Baluchestan provinces. The organization stated that Iranian authorities have used 'torture-tainted confessions,' some of which were broadcast by state media as evidence for convictions before the trials. Amnesty further noted that the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic have subjected many individuals to torture and other ill-treatment, including beatings, electric shocks, and sexual violence, violating fair trial standards. The organization raised alarms about the increase in executions and the potential 'massacre' of thousands detained in connection with the nationwide protests of 2022, adding that dozens more are being interrogated for capital offenses related to the demonstrations. The United Nations General Assembly also voted on December 19, 2023, to adopt a resolution proposed by Canada condemning widespread human rights violations by the Islamic Republic, which had previously been approved in the Third Committee. Concerns raised by UN members included the suspicious deaths of prisoners in Iranian jails, increased pressure on Iranian women under the pretext of hijab enforcement, arbitrary and unjustified detention of dual nationals and citizens of other countries, and the poor conditions of Afghan migrants in Iran. The representative of the Islamic Republic condemned the adoption of Canada's resolution and called for the removal of the special rapporteur's mandate and the fact-finding committee. Previously, on October 24, Javid Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, presented a report to the General Assembly and the Third Committee, stating that the report depicted the 'bitter reality' of human rights in Iran. He noted that thirteen months have passed since the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, and the Iranian government has failed to conduct transparent, impartial, and independent investigations into the matter, continuously denying any wrongdoing on its part. Rahman pointed out significant shortcomings in the legal and political framework of the Islamic Republic, which have considerably limited the ability of Iranian citizens to exercise their democratic participation rights in the political and public spheres. In his report to the UN General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur stated that the current situation in Iran has led to widespread distrust and public protests that were violently suppressed, with demonstrators being harassed, injured, killed, or facing arbitrary detention, torture, and conviction. Javid Rahman also expressed concern about 'broader human rights issues in Iran and the significant deterioration of the situation for those exercising their civil participation rights.' He described the increase in executions as 'alarming,' stating that 'at least 582 people were executed in 2022, with over 256 cases related to drug offenses, which is significantly higher compared to 2021.'