Reza Rasayi, one of the detainees from the 2021 protests, executed; his body buried under security measures far from the city

According to media reports in Iran, Reza Rasayi, a 34-year-old man who was detained during the protests in 2021 in the city of Sahneh, Kermanshah, was executed early this morning, Tuesday, August 7, 2023. According to the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, Rasayi's death sentence was carried out secretly and without the family's knowledge in the central prison (Dizelabad) of Kermanshah. Security agencies later informed Rasayi's family of the execution, warning them that they were not allowed to bury him in his hometown of Sahneh. Hours later, Fatemeh Heydari, sister of Javad Heydari, who died in the nationwide protests of 2021, reported on social media that only Rasayi's mother, sister, and brother were allowed by officials to attend his funeral. According to the Telegram channel 'Saham News,' the body of this detainee from the 2021 protests is being buried 'with numerous security personnel in the Mina Abad cemetery of Kermanshah, a very remote cemetery three hours away from Sahneh, with the public not allowed to attend.' Reza Rasayi was sentenced to death for murder by the second branch of the Kermanshah Criminal Court last October. This sentence was later confirmed by the 17th branch of the Supreme Court at the end of December. This condemned protester was sentenced to death for the alleged murder of Nader Birami, the head of the intelligence department of Sahneh, a charge he denied. Previously, a source from Dizelabad prison informed the human rights organization 'Dadban' that pressure on Reza Rasayi had increased, and his access to phone calls with his family and in-person visits had been cut off. At the same time, pressure on Rasayi's family also increased. This informed source noted that 'threatening phone calls and threats of arrest against family members are among the pressures applied to Rasayi's family since July.' Dadban reported that Rasayi's death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court under conditions where 'the ruling issued by the lower court had numerous formal and substantive defects.' These include reliance on forced confessions from defendants against each other, willfully ignoring the testimonies of several defendants in favor of Rasayi, stating deficiencies in preliminary investigations, disregarding forensic expert opinions, and especially the court's reliance on 'the judge's knowledge' to prove guilt, all of which are fundamental defects in the ruling. Amnesty International warned last December about the risk of execution for this protesting citizen following the rejection of Rasayi's appeal by the Supreme Court. Human rights organizations and activists have warned in recent months about the possibility of executing several political prisoners, including Reza Rasayi, Mojahid Korkor, Habib Daris, and Abbas Daris. Despite widespread domestic and international protests, the Islamic Republic continues to execute prisoners. Caroline Wagner, a member of the German Parliament and political sponsor of Reza Rasayi, stated that Rasayi's confession was obtained under torture and that his trial was not fair. Reactions to the execution of Kamran Sheikha: 'Extrajudicial killing' and 'illegal'; the Islamic Republic must be held accountable. The cutting off of visits and phone calls and the harassment of the family; pressures on Reza Rasayi have increased.