The Accused in the 'Isfahan House' Case Call on 'The People of Iran' and Protests Erupt

Hours after three death-row defendants in the 'Isfahan House' case requested from inside the Dastgerd prison in Isfahan that 'the people of Iran' prevent their execution, social media posts indicate that on Wednesday evening, a number of citizens gathered in support of them near the Dastgerd prison. Authorities attempted to block access to the prison to prevent protesters from reaching the location where the death-row inmates are held. Even outside Iran, in Vienna in front of the UN headquarters, a number of Iranians held a protest to voice the plight of the three condemned individuals. Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashimi, and Saeed Yaqoubi, three protesters facing execution, had asked for help from the Iranian people in a message from inside Dastgerd prison. Social media users responded positively to their request by trending the hashtag 'Don't let them kill us.' Gohar Eshghi, the mother of the late Sattar Beheshti, tweeted: 'My children wrote, don’t let them kill us. They should have written, don’t let them take your lives away. If you remain silent, tomorrow it will be your turn.' Early Thursday, Iranian state media announced that the execution of the defendants in the 'Isfahan House' case had not yet been carried out. The three defendants referred to themselves as 'the children of Iran' in a handwritten note shared on social media, asking their fellow citizens for support. The families of these three death-row inmates also shared a joint message on Twitter, stating: 'Our hopes are pinned on you. They called out to you and asked you not to let them be killed.' Mohammad Hashemi, a cousin of Majid Kazemi, tweeted that the families of the Isfahan case had been told that the Supreme National Security Council had ordered that the case be resolved that night. The mother of Saeed Yaqoubi also shared a video message stating that they had been given a 'last visit' and urged the public to support these condemned protesters. A photo of Saleh Mirhashimi's father holding a sign stating 'My son is innocent, he had no weapon' circulated on social media. A source informed on April 24 told Voice of America that officials had informed Majid Kazemi's family that the three detained protesters would be executed within 'the next two or three days.' In the late hours of Sunday, Prince Reza Pahlavi warned of an 'immediate danger' and called on the people to gather in front of Dastgerd prison alongside the families of Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashimi, and Saeed Yaqoubi, stating: 'Let us not allow the young-killer Zahak and his agents to take more innocent lives and make more mothers mourn.' As concerns grew over the imminent execution of these three protesters, a group of people in Isfahan gathered in the early hours of Monday in front of Dastgerd prison. Images of security forces using tear gas and firing on protesters outside the prison where these three death-row inmates are held circulated on social media. Although the execution did not take place that day, according to the handwritten note, Majid Kazemi, Saeed Yaqoubi, and Saleh Mirhashimi remain at risk of execution.