Second Day of Strike in Semiram Market in Protest Against Death Sentences for Two Young Protesters

Merchants and shopkeepers in Semiram, Isfahan province, have gone on strike for the second consecutive day in support of Fazel Bahramian and Mehran Bahramian, two political prisoners, and in protest against the death sentences issued for them. According to a video published by the 'Voice of Isfahan' account on X on Wednesday, February 1, shops in Semiram are closed, and merchants and shopkeepers have ceased work for the second day in a row in protest against the death sentences for the two detained young protesters. The continuation of the strike by merchants and shopkeepers in Semiram comes as the Public Places Supervision Office in Semiram has sealed some of the striking shops. The sealing of shops in Semiram follows a general strike in protest against the death sentences for the protesters. Sources affiliated with the Islamic Republic, who call themselves 'fire at will,' are threatening locals to end the strike, but the strike continues for the second consecutive day. Merchants and shopkeepers in Semiram also went on strike on Tuesday, coinciding with a general strike in some cities in western and northwestern Iran. This strike is in protest against the death sentences for two citizens detained during the nationwide protests of 2022, named Mehran Bahramian and Fazel Bahramian. The death sentence for these two protesters comes after Morad Bahramian, Fazel Bahramian's brother, was killed by the Islamic Republic's forces during the suppression of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests in Semiram. Following the fortieth-day memorial for Morad Bahramian, judicial authorities arrested Fazel and Mehran Bahramian, accusing them of the 'murder' of a government agent named 'Mohsen Rezaei.' According to human rights sources, these two imprisoned protesters were 'severely tortured' and were deprived of the right to access a chosen lawyer and to meet with their families. Simultaneously with the strike of merchants and shopkeepers in Semiram, a number of political prisoners held in Qazalhessar prison in Alborz province announced that they would now hold weekly hunger strikes every Tuesday in protest against the issuance and execution of death sentences by the Islamic Republic's judiciary, under the title 'Black Tuesdays.' Political prisoners' women in Evin prison also announced that they would join this group protest. The issuance and execution of death sentences for protesters in Iran by the Islamic Republic continues despite warnings from international human rights organizations. The U.S. State Department emphasized that 'the United States will continue to take actions in coordination with its allies and partners to support the people of Iran who face relentless human rights violations by the Iranian government.'