In Response to Widespread Outcry and Condemnation of Parvin Mousavi's Execution; Judiciary Defends the Ruling: Approved by the Supreme Court

Mizan News Agency, the media outlet of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic, reacted to the widespread public response to the execution of Parvin Mousavi and three male prisoners related to drug offenses, which took place early Friday morning in Urmia prison. It announced that this execution case 'has gone through the legal process in the initial and appellate stages in the Supreme Court.' The Judiciary denied the claims of Mousavi's innocence and cancer illness, labeling them as 'fabricated' by foreign media, and deemed her execution lawful with 'approval from the Supreme Court.' The Judiciary claimed in this announcement: 'Several requests for clemency and reduction of punishment had been made for this individual, which were reviewed by the Clemency and Pardon Commission, but due to the large volume of drugs discovered from Parvin Mousavi, it was not approved.' Meanwhile, Sara Sediqi Hamdani, a former cellmate of Parvin Mousavi, stated in an interview with Voice of America before her execution that Mousavi was 'innocent' and had been promised freedom. Sediqi added that Mousavi was linked to drug offenses but was the third defendant in a case where the first defendant was executed and the second defendant, despite having a criminal record, was acquitted and released from prison. According to her, Mousavi suffered from cancer, had no prior history of drug-related offenses, denied all accusations against her, and prison officials had promised her freedom. The Hengaw website listed the names of the four prisoners executed early Friday as Parvin Mousavi, Youssef Saidi-Chahreh, Ramin Lundi, and Mansour Naseri, identifying them as hailing from the cities of Maragheh, Urmia, and Boukan, respectively. The 'Iran Human Rights Monitoring' organization described the increase in execution statistics in the Islamic Republic as 'very concerning' and stated that prisoners related to drug offenses are often from the outskirts of cities and from impoverished communities, who are sentenced to death in an unfair judicial process, while according to international laws, drug-related offenses should not be subject to the death penalty. Steve Cohen and Tom McClintock, Republican lawmakers and co-chairs of the Iran Human Rights and Democracy Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, also condemned the increase in executions in Iran as being 'directly ordered by Ali Khamenei.' Images of citizens gathering to receive the body of Parvin Mousavi shortly after her execution were shared, along with reports of clashes in Urmia prison following Mousavi's transfer for execution; explanations from Sara Sediqi Hamdani indicated that in five months, 10 women were executed in the Islamic Republic. The execution of four prisoners in Urmia prison occurred despite the 'promise of clemency' for Parvin Mousavi.