Warning About the Possible Execution of Reza Rasayi: His Life is More at Risk Than Ever

Relatives of Reza Rasayi, a condemned protester facing execution, warn that his life is currently more at risk than ever. One of Rasayi's relatives posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, May 6, stating that the life of this condemned protester is 'more at risk than ever' and warned about the possibility of his execution, saying that 'the sentence is in execution and there is no obstacle to its implementation.' In this regard, an informed source confirmed to the legal advisory group 'Dadban' that the risk of executing Reza Rasayi's sentence has increased in the coming days, stating that despite the registration of a '477 objection' several months ago, 'no response has been given to the family and lawyers' and 'the finalized execution sentence has previously been sent by the second branch of the Criminal Court of Kermanshah Province to the execution office of Kermanshah Judiciary, and the related administrative work has also been completed.' The second branch of the Criminal Court of Kermanshah sentenced 34-year-old Reza Rasayi, arrested in the city of Sahneh, to execution for the alleged 'murder' of Nader Birami, the head of the intelligence department of this city, and this sentence has been confirmed by the 17th branch of the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, Rasayi himself denied this accusation in court. The informed source told 'Dadban' that the 'family of the victim' emphasized that they 'do not seek retribution and it is not clear to them that Rasayi is the murderer,' but 'they say it is not in our hands and our consent is of no use, talk to the IRGC.' According to the legal advisory group 'Dadban,' the confirmation of this sentence in the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic 'is while the ruling issued by the primary court has numerous formal and substantive flaws.' Previously, an eyewitness from the scene of Nader Birami's killing told Voice of America that in the published images from the scene of the clash, 'Reza is not in any of the videos' and 'when Reza arrives,' Birami is 'half-dead and people are gathered around him looking on, and Reza is one of the people standing there and goes to look.' The legal group 'Dadban' also emphasized that 'the reliance on forced confessions of defendants against each other, the deliberate disregard of the testimonies of several defendants in favor of Reza Rasayi, the ruling's statement of deficiencies in preliminary investigations, the lack of attention to forensic expert opinions, and especially the court's reliance on the judge's knowledge to prove guilt are among the fundamental flaws in the ruling.' The warning about the possibility of executing Reza (Gholam-Reza) Rasayi has sparked reactions on social media. Ebrahim Allahbakshi, a human rights activist, stated that 'the IRGC pressured the judiciary to confirm Reza Rasayi's death sentence in the Supreme Court,' saying, 'The judge Barani, who was responsible for handling Rasayi's case in the Supreme Court, did not even know whether he had confirmed or rejected the ruling. Now the same ruling that had numerous flaws in the primary court has been copied verbatim and issued in the Supreme Court.' According to him, 'It is not clear to the Birami family (the victim) that Rasayi is the murderer, yet they say it is not in our hands and our consent is of no use, talk to the IRGC.' Additionally, Ladan Boroumand, a human rights activist, emphasized that 'Reza Rasayi's life is in danger,' stating that he has been 'deprived of a fair trial' and that the death sentence for this political prisoner is 'an order for a state murder,' asserting that 'protest is not a crime, it is a right.' Hediyeh Kimiai, a journalist, also warned about the danger to Reza Rasayi's life, recalling that the issuance of the death sentence for this protester was due to 'case-making and forced confessions of defendants against each other,' and 'his ruling has been confirmed in the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic, and their request for retrial has been rejected.' Hassan Ronaghi, a civil activist, also emphasized that the 'risk of executing the death sentence' for this political prisoner is 'serious,' saying, 'Let us be the voice of Reza Rasayi' because, according to him, the Islamic Republic wants to 'kill him.' In protest against the wave of executions by the Islamic Republic in Iran, especially against protesters, a number of political prisoners announced that since last February, they would go on hunger strike on Tuesdays, titled 'Black Tuesdays,' and a group of civil organizations have joined this protest. Despite widespread domestic and international protests, the Islamic Republic continues to execute prisoners, and a number of political prisoners are also at risk of the death penalty. The U.S. State Department condemned the issuance of the death sentence for Tomaj Salehi.