Hamid Rasai Calls for the Execution of Taraneh Alidoosti

A former member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly has attacked Taraneh Alidoosti, a prominent Iranian actress, calling for her 'execution.' Hamid Rasai, a radical figure of the Islamic Republic and a former parliament representative, on Thursday, May 18, published a text titled 'Execute Taraneh Alidoosti,' claiming that she has called for 'foreign intervention in the country's affairs.' On Wednesday, Alidoosti requested the United Nations and its Human Rights Council to take action to stop the execution of three protesters involved in the Isfahan House case. The famous actress also published images of protests against the violation of prisoners' right to life, referencing the high number of executions in Iran. Following Alidoosti's protest against the executions, Rasai labeled her a 'mercenary' and referred to the protesters as 'animals,' describing her support for Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashimi, and Saeed Yaqoubi as a 'coordinated design with the enemies' for 'future movements.' Rasai, while demanding the execution of Alidoosti, claimed that the 'future plan' of the protesters involves 'the intervention of international organizations aligned with criminals in Iran's internal affairs,' and, calling them 'criminals,' considered 'public execution' as the 'least punishment,' requesting the judiciary to execute their supporters. Following the announcement of the imminent execution of three protesters in Isfahan, a group of citizens gathered alongside the families of Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashimi, and Saeed Yaqoubi in front of the Dastgerd prison, leading to widespread protests on social media. According to Mohammad Hashemi, Kazemi's cousin, following widespread support for these three imprisoned protesters, they 'contacted their families' and said, 'We are still alive.' He emphasized that 'we do not know when they will take the lives of the children of Iran,' stating that 'we owe this breath that has not been cut off for another day to you, the people.' Rasai's attacks on protesters and cultural and media activists have previously led to judicial condemnation against them. Marzieh Mahmoudi, an economic journalist in Iran, tweeted that she was fined for criticizing Rasai's statements. This condemnation followed her objection to Rasai's remark that protesters 'want to sleep with someone every night and graze like animals.' Mahmoudi wrote, 'The court ruling against Hamid Rasai has come,' and 'I was fined 24 million tomans, but it was reduced to six million tomans. I paid the fine today.' Some analysts and human rights advocates consider the increase in executions in Iran as a method of intimidation. Mohammad Oliaei Far, a lawyer, told Voice of America that the Islamic Republic uses executions as a political tool.