German Parliament Representative to Voice of America: The Islamic Republic has shown through executions that it is only seeking terror

Yee-Wan Ri, a member of the German Parliament and political guardian of Tomaj Salehi, reacted to the execution of three defendants in the "Isfahan House" case, stating that the Islamic Republic uses executions to instill fear and break the spirit of the people, and that the regime does everything in its power to remain in power. On Friday, May 29, in an exclusive interview with the Persian section of Voice of America, in response to the execution of Saleh Mirhashimi, Majid Kazemi Sheikh-Shabani, and Saeed Yaqoubi Kordasfeli, she said: "It is very tragic. The Isfahan case attracted a lot of attention, everyone was aware of it and familiar with their names and had seen their pictures. But like the three recent executions carried out by the Islamic Republic, it is shocking." She added: "I have heard that the political executions carried out by the Islamic Republic have exceeded 200 cases, and I do not know how to react to that. I feel very bad because you see that the Islamic Republic is not held accountable at all, and because they are afraid, they do everything in their power to remain in power, and what they are doing is inhumane." Yee-Wan Ri, who referred to these executions on Twitter as "a terrorist act," explained: "Because it is unclear what they are doing. I don't know if you remember, but a few months ago a similar case occurred in Karaj, and people were worried that two people might be executed, and a protest was held in front of the prison. Those two were not executed, but this time the regime carried it out. I think the regime intends to break the spirit of the people because currently many people have gone to Isfahan and gathered. The families of these three were very active, and many activists did a lot, and the letter from these three from prison made many aware of this issue. I believe the regime is trying to break the will of the people inside the country and has a very bad impact on people outside the country, and this is the same terrorist act. They are engaged in terror and nothing else." This German parliament representative, regarding the reactions to these death sentences and whether they were sufficient, said: "The executions that took place this morning show that the reactions have not been sufficient, and more importantly, I believe the international community must speak with one voice, but it is not like that right now. For example, if you look at the European Union, each government has its own national interests. We have allowed the Iranian regime to create divisions among us, and I think that is the biggest problem we are facing right now." Ms. Ri, considering the reactions of activists including Nazanin Boniadi to the UN Human Rights Council, said: "I completely understand the people's reaction regarding the UN Human Rights Council and the Islamic Republic, but it is like the case of listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization in Europe." Yee-Wan Ri added: "If you look, you will see that France has different interests, Germany the same, and Belgium also. Many of them have their people in prison in Iran and want to get their citizens out. I think this is the biggest problem we have, and we must stand united and together; otherwise, the Iranian regime knows well that it can create divisions among us and pursue its demands outside the decisions of one or several countries. We must unite and do everything we can and must take a clear and strong stance. I understand the activists' reactions, and I believe the reactions of other politicians are not sufficient." These three executed protesters were accused of killing two Basij members and a police officer. This is while they and their families had repeatedly denied these accusations. They stated that after extensive torture, they were forced to make televised confessions. The three had requested help from the "people of Iran" in a message from inside the Dashtgerd prison in Isfahan on Wednesday, May 27, and social media users responded positively to this request by trending the hashtag "Don't let them kill us." In recent days, several political figures and human rights organizations around the world have criticized the issuance of death sentences for Saleh Mirhashimi, Majid Kazemi Sheikh-Shabani, and Saeed Yaqoubi Kordasfeli.