Mowlavi Abdolhamid Criticizes Recent Executions in Iran

Mowlavi Abdolhamid, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, criticized the execution of several Sunni prisoners, describing the action as 'lacking foresight and tolerance' in light of the region's 'sensitive' conditions. According to the Sunni Online website, during his Friday sermon on August 5, he emphasized that 'Sharia and Islamic jurisprudence take great caution regarding executions.' This prominent Sunni cleric also stated that there should be a reconsideration of certain laws to 'reduce executions to a minimum.' Mowlavi Abdolhamid expressed 'discontent' with the recent executions, arguing that 'the sensitive conditions of the region were not taken into account' in these actions. He noted that some regional countries want to 'destroy Iran's security at any cost,' adding, 'We still recommend that these matters be respected and that those who are not direct killers be shown clemency.' At the end of his speech, he advised Sunnis, 'especially those who are distressed,' to control their emotions and maintain their calm. According to Iranian judicial officials, on Tuesday, August 2, 20 members of the 'Tawhid and Jihad' group were executed in Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj. In recent days, the judiciary of Kurdistan province and the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic issued separate statements attributing multiple accusations to the executed individuals, including 'armed assassination of Mowlavi Borhan Ali, a Sunni cleric, and Mowlavi Sheikh al-Islam,' 'armed conflict in the Sharifabad neighborhood with Ministry of Intelligence personnel,' 'armed robbery and extortion,' and the murder of 'four environmental guards in Kurdistan province.' Most of these individuals have denied the accusations and stated in videos and writings released from them that they had been in 'solitary confinement' and 'under torture' for a long time. Some of them also claimed they were only engaged in religious activities. Meanwhile, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan stated that there are 'extremist and radical individuals' among both Shia and Sunni communities, adding that if individuals have committed murder and their crimes have been proven in 'fair and public courts,' they should be executed. Mowlavi Abdolhamid emphasized that based on jurisprudential views, those who were 'behind the scenes' of the murder and 'advised' should be punished and imprisoned. The Human Rights Defenders Center and the International Federation for Human Rights condemned the execution of these prisoners, and Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called the execution of these prisoners a 'great injustice.' In this context, the UN described the execution of 20 prisoners in Iran as a 'great injustice.' The Attorney General of Iran announced that the number of executed members of the 'Tawhid and Jihad' group was 20. The International Federation for Human Rights protested against the recent executions in Iran, stating that 102 members of the 'Tawhid and Jihad' group were pursued by the Ministry of Intelligence. The Iranian judiciary executed at least seven individuals on charges of engaging in terrorist acts.