Unprecedented Opposition of Iranians Inside the Country Against the Death Penalty: "I Oppose the Death Penalty with My Real and Specific Identity"

As the wave of executions intensifies in Iran, a number of social media users, including civil activists, journalists, and human rights lawyers, have published statements opposing this law using their "real identities." Following the execution of three protesters in Isfahan, Shahryar Shams, a civil activist, tweeted, "I, Shahryar Shams, from inside Iran with my real and specific identity, clearly state that I oppose the death penalty for any crime." He emphasized that he is willing to do whatever it takes to abolish the death penalty. This idea was welcomed by social media users, and others also opposed the death penalty using their real identities. Among them, Abouzar Nasrollahi, a lawyer, stated, "I consider this punishment illegitimate, unjust, and ineffective." Some users, including several journalists, civil activists, and human rights advocates, also published similar statements opposing the death penalty on their Twitter accounts. The public opposition of users to the death penalty using their real names on social media comes at a time when several human rights activists opposed to the death penalty, including Narges Mohammadi and Atena Daemi, have been imprisoned for years on security charges. The wave of executions in Iran has intensified in recent months following the nationwide protests after the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police. Mohammad Oliaei-Fard, a lawyer, previously told Voice of America that the Islamic Republic uses executions as a political tool. The Islamic Republic of Iran ranks second in the world for the highest number of executions after China, and in terms of population, it holds the first place for executions globally. The Iranian government executes not only political prisoners but also citizens, including children, on charges related to "drugs" and "murder." In addition to the deaths of over 500 people during the nationwide protests that have been ongoing since the death of Mahsa Amini in late September 2022, the Islamic Republic has executed three other protesters named Mohsen Shakari, Majidreza Rahnavard, Mohammad Mahdi Karami, and Mohammad Hosseini. With the execution of three more protesters in Iran, citizen protests have intensified, and reports received by Voice of America and published on social media indicate that gatherings, sit-ins, marches, and nighttime slogans have increased in cities across Iran.