Supreme Court Confirms Death Sentences for 'Shahcheragh Attack' Suspects; Will Be Executed 'Soon'

The head of the judiciary in Fars Province announced that the 'death sentences' for two suspects in the 'Shahcheragh attack' have been confirmed by the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic and will be executed 'soon.' According to the Tasnim news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Kazem Mousavi, the head of the judiciary in Fars Province, stated on Thursday, July 6, that the case of the suspects in the Shahcheragh attack in Shiraz was 'confirmed' after a 're-examination' by the Supreme Court. This judicial official had previously stated that the two suspects in this case would be executed 'soon on 9 Dey Street in Shiraz.' On May 24, Mohammad Ramez Rashidi and Naeem Hashemi Qatali were sentenced to 'public execution' for charges of 'aiding in corruption on earth, rebellion, and actions against national security' in the 'Shahcheragh attack' case. This case has five suspects, and the head of the judiciary in Fars stated that the charges against these two non-Iranian citizens, who have been reported as Afghan nationals in some reports, included 'arming, logistics, support, and guiding' the main attacker at the Shahcheragh shrine. The Islamic Republic has stated that the main attacker, referred to by aliases such as 'Abu Aisha' and 'Hamid Badakhshan,' was killed during a confrontation with security forces. According to officials of the Islamic Republic, 13 people were killed during the armed attack on the 'Shahcheragh shrine' that occurred in November 2022. Many human rights activists and experts have questioned the judicial process in the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially in cases leading to the death penalty, and the identification of Mohammad Ramez Rashidi and Naeem Hashemi Qatali as the suspects in the 'Shahcheragh attack' has not been credible among parts of the public. Following the widespread protests in the second half of 2022, the Islamic Republic executed seven protesters in a rushed process, and several others remain at risk of execution. One of the protesters at risk of execution is Abbas Korkori, known as Mujahid Korkori. Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, the head of Iran Human Rights, told Voice of America that the Islamic Republic wants to cover up its crime of killing Kian Pirfalak, a 9-year-old child in Izeh, by executing this protester. Some experts say that the Islamic Republic is using the tool of execution, especially in public, to instill fear among its citizens and opponents. Pegah Bani Hashemi, a lawyer, described public execution in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America as a 'heinous punishment' that lacks any deterrent effect on society.