Iran hit with sanctions over protester execution
Mohsen Shekari was hanged Thursday after being found guilty of 'moharebeh' or 'enmity against God'
Demonstrator wave pre-Islamic Revolution flags of Iran during a rally in support of Iranian protests, with the Eiffel Tower in the background in Paris on Oct. 9, following the death of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in Iran. (Photo: AFP)
By AFP
Published: December 10, 2022
Iran was slapped with new sanctions Friday and activists called for fresh protests after the Islamic republic carried out its first execution over demonstrations that have shaken the regime for nearly three months.
Mohsen Shekari, 23, was hanged Thursday after being convicted of "moharebeh" -- or "enmity against God" -- after what rights groups denounced as a show trial.
The judiciary said Shekari was arrested after blocking a Tehran street and wounding a member of the Basij, a paramilitary force linked to Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iran said it was exercising "utmost restraint" in the face of the protests that flared over the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, after her arrest for an alleged breach of the country's strict dress code for women.
Britain announced sanctions against 30 targets, including officials in Iran whom it accused of pursuing "egregious sentences" against protesters.
Canada imposed sanctions on 22 senior members of Iran's judiciary, prison system and police, as well top aides to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
European diplomats said the EU was also set to impose more punitive measures on Iran over the deadly crackdown that has killed at least 458 people, including more than 60 children, according to Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR).
Iran said on December 3 that more than 200 people were killed in the unrest, including security forces.
In addition to Shekari, Iranian media reported on Friday the death of a paramilitary and the burial of another, both of whom were said to have been wounded in clashes with protesters.
Hurried execution
Shekari's body was buried 24 hours after his execution in the presence of a few family members and security forces in Tehran's Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, the 1500tasvir social media monitor reported.
UN rights chief Volker Turk described the execution as "very troubling and clearly designed to send a chilling effect to the rest of the protesters".
Overnight, protesters nonetheless took to the street where Shekari was arrested, shouting, "They took away our Mohsen and brought back his body," in a video shared by 1500tasvir.
Elsewhere, chants of "Death to the dictator" and "Death to Sepahi" were heard at a demonstration in Tehran's Chitgar district, in reference to Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guards.
1500tasvir said Shekari's execution happened with such haste that his family had still been waiting to hear the outcome of his appeal.
It posted harrowing footage of what it said was the moment his family learnt the news outside their Tehran home, with a woman doubled up in pain and grief, repeatedly screaming his name.
The families of political prisoners put to death in mass executions in 1988 joined in the condemnation.
"Mohsen's execution is a reminder of the loss of our loved ones, who... just like Mohsen, were tried in minutes-long sham trials," they said in a statement published by US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Hamed Esmaeilion, an Iranian-Canadian activist who has organised mass protests in Berlin, Paris and other cities, said more demonstrations would be held at the weekend.
'Chilling effect'
Western governments, which had already imposed waves of sanctions against Iran over the protest crackdown, also expressed anger.
Washington called Shekari's execution "a grim escalation" and vowed to hold the Iranian regime to account for violence "against its own people".
Germany summoned the Iranian ambassador, a diplomatic source said, without providing further details.
Spain condemned the execution "in the strongest terms", calling on Tehran to "respect the fundamental rights of the Iranian population, including freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration".
Iran has defended its response to the protests and accused the West of hypocrisy.
"In countering riots, Iran has shown utmost restraint and, unlike many Western regimes... Iran has employed proportionate and standard anti-riot methods," its foreign ministry said.
"The same is true for the judicial process: restraint and proportionality," it tweeted late Thursday, adding: "Public security is a red line."
According to Amnesty, Iran executes more people annually than any nation other than China.
IHR this week warned the Islamic republic had already executed more than 500 people in 2022, a sharp jump on last year.
At least a dozen other people are currently at risk of execution after being sentenced to hang in connection with the protests, human rights groups warned.
Mohsen Shekari was hanged Thursday after being found guilty of 'moharebeh' or 'enmity against God'
Demonstrator wave pre-Islamic Revolution flags of Iran during a rally in support of Iranian protests, with the Eiffel Tower in the background in Paris on Oct. 9, following the death of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in Iran. (Photo: AFP)
By AFP
Published: December 10, 2022
Iran was slapped with new sanctions Friday and activists called for fresh protests after the Islamic republic carried out its first execution over demonstrations that have shaken the regime for nearly three months.
Mohsen Shekari, 23, was hanged Thursday after being convicted of "moharebeh" -- or "enmity against God" -- after what rights groups denounced as a show trial.
The judiciary said Shekari was arrested after blocking a Tehran street and wounding a member of the Basij, a paramilitary force linked to Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iran said it was exercising "utmost restraint" in the face of the protests that flared over the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, after her arrest for an alleged breach of the country's strict dress code for women.
Britain announced sanctions against 30 targets, including officials in Iran whom it accused of pursuing "egregious sentences" against protesters.
Canada imposed sanctions on 22 senior members of Iran's judiciary, prison system and police, as well top aides to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
European diplomats said the EU was also set to impose more punitive measures on Iran over the deadly crackdown that has killed at least 458 people, including more than 60 children, according to Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR).
Iran said on December 3 that more than 200 people were killed in the unrest, including security forces.
In addition to Shekari, Iranian media reported on Friday the death of a paramilitary and the burial of another, both of whom were said to have been wounded in clashes with protesters.
Hurried execution
Shekari's body was buried 24 hours after his execution in the presence of a few family members and security forces in Tehran's Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, the 1500tasvir social media monitor reported.
UN rights chief Volker Turk described the execution as "very troubling and clearly designed to send a chilling effect to the rest of the protesters".
Overnight, protesters nonetheless took to the street where Shekari was arrested, shouting, "They took away our Mohsen and brought back his body," in a video shared by 1500tasvir.
Elsewhere, chants of "Death to the dictator" and "Death to Sepahi" were heard at a demonstration in Tehran's Chitgar district, in reference to Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guards.
1500tasvir said Shekari's execution happened with such haste that his family had still been waiting to hear the outcome of his appeal.
It posted harrowing footage of what it said was the moment his family learnt the news outside their Tehran home, with a woman doubled up in pain and grief, repeatedly screaming his name.
The families of political prisoners put to death in mass executions in 1988 joined in the condemnation.
"Mohsen's execution is a reminder of the loss of our loved ones, who... just like Mohsen, were tried in minutes-long sham trials," they said in a statement published by US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Hamed Esmaeilion, an Iranian-Canadian activist who has organised mass protests in Berlin, Paris and other cities, said more demonstrations would be held at the weekend.
'Chilling effect'
Western governments, which had already imposed waves of sanctions against Iran over the protest crackdown, also expressed anger.
Washington called Shekari's execution "a grim escalation" and vowed to hold the Iranian regime to account for violence "against its own people".
Germany summoned the Iranian ambassador, a diplomatic source said, without providing further details.
Spain condemned the execution "in the strongest terms", calling on Tehran to "respect the fundamental rights of the Iranian population, including freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration".
Iran has defended its response to the protests and accused the West of hypocrisy.
"In countering riots, Iran has shown utmost restraint and, unlike many Western regimes... Iran has employed proportionate and standard anti-riot methods," its foreign ministry said.
"The same is true for the judicial process: restraint and proportionality," it tweeted late Thursday, adding: "Public security is a red line."
According to Amnesty, Iran executes more people annually than any nation other than China.
IHR this week warned the Islamic republic had already executed more than 500 people in 2022, a sharp jump on last year.
At least a dozen other people are currently at risk of execution after being sentenced to hang in connection with the protests, human rights groups warned.
Iranian women part of protests against the regime over the hijab law are being shot in their faces, breasts and genitals, a report said.
India Today Web Desk
New Delhi,
UPDATED: Dec 9, 2022
People participate in a protest against the Islamic regime of Iran and the death of Mahsa Amini (Photo: File)
By India Today Web Desk: As anti-hijab protests rage on in Iran, security forces, who have brutally cracked down on demonstrators with batons and handcuffs, are reportedly targeting unarmed women with shotgun fire to their faces, breasts and genitals, a report said.
The "birdshot pellets" which security forces fired on protesters from close range targeted women's faces, breasts and genitals, The Guardian reported, citing medics who treated the bullet wounds.
Images accessed by the US media outlet showed people with dozens of tiny "shot" balls lodged deep in their flesh. But men were shot in their legs, buttocks, and backs.
People participate in a protest against the Islamic regime of Iran and the death of Mahsa Amini (Photo: File)
By India Today Web Desk: As anti-hijab protests rage on in Iran, security forces, who have brutally cracked down on demonstrators with batons and handcuffs, are reportedly targeting unarmed women with shotgun fire to their faces, breasts and genitals, a report said.
The "birdshot pellets" which security forces fired on protesters from close range targeted women's faces, breasts and genitals, The Guardian reported, citing medics who treated the bullet wounds.
Images accessed by the US media outlet showed people with dozens of tiny "shot" balls lodged deep in their flesh. But men were shot in their legs, buttocks, and backs.
"I treated a woman in her early 20s who was shot in her genitals by two pellets. Ten other pellets were lodged in her inner thigh. These 10 pellets were easily removed, but those two pellets were a challenge, because they were wedged in between her urethra and vaginal opening," a doctor was quoted as saying, indicating that men and women were targeted in different ways.
Some of the other medics accused security forces, including the feared pro-regime Basij militia, of ignoring riot control practices, such as firing weapons at feet and legs to avoid damaging vital organs, the report said.
Protests have swept Iran since September 16 following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian of Kurdish origin in custody after being arrested by the morality police for allegedly flouting the Sharia-based hijab law.
Protesters have burned their head coverings, shouted anti-government slogans and tossed turbans off Muslim clerics' heads. Since Mahsa Amini's death, a growing number of women have not been observing hijab, particularly in Tehran's fashionable north.
Iranians protest the death of Mahsa Amini after she was detained by the morality police, in Tehran (Photo: AP)
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have accused the United States, Israel, European powers and Saudi Arabia of being behind the persisting unrest, saying they used Amini’s death as an “excuse” to target the country and its foundations.
The hijab, which has been mandatory since shortly after the country’s 1979 Islamic revolution, has been a central ideological issue for Iranian authorities, who have repeatedly said they will not back down from it.
Read | 'Mullahs must get lost': Iranians sing at new Mahsa Amini protests
Watch | What do we learn from the hijab protests in Iran?
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have accused the United States, Israel, European powers and Saudi Arabia of being behind the persisting unrest, saying they used Amini’s death as an “excuse” to target the country and its foundations.
The hijab, which has been mandatory since shortly after the country’s 1979 Islamic revolution, has been a central ideological issue for Iranian authorities, who have repeatedly said they will not back down from it.
Read | 'Mullahs must get lost': Iranians sing at new Mahsa Amini protests
Watch | What do we learn from the hijab protests in Iran?
Sister of Iran's leader condemns his rule, urges Guards to disarm - letter
Iran has been gripped by unrest since the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in police custody on Sept 16., and is facing a three-day general strike movement which started on Monday.
Badri Hosseini Khamenei, who lives in Iran and is the sister of Ayatollah Khamenei, criticised the clerical establishment starting from the time of the Islamic Republic's late founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to her brother's rule, the letter, dated "December 2022", said.
"I think it is appropriate now to declare that I oppose my brother's actions and I express my sympathy with all mothers mourning the crimes of the Islamic Republic, from the time of Khomeini to the current era of the despotic caliphate of Ali Khamenei," she wrote in the letter which was shared on Wednesday on the Twitter account of her son, Mahmoud Moradkhani.
"Ali Khamenei's Revolutionary Guards and mercenaries should lay down their weapons as soon as possible and join the people before it is too late," the letter said.
The Revolutionary Guards are Iran's elite force which has helped the country's establish proxies across the Middle East, and runs a vast business empire.
On Tuesday, the elite force shared a statement calling on the judiciary to "not show mercy to rioters, thugs and terrorists", in a sign that the authorities have no intention of easing their fierce crackdown on dissent.
Iran’s judiciary spokesman, Masoud Setayeshi, said on Tuesday that five people indicted in the killing of Basij militia member Rouhollah Ajamian were sentenced to death in a verdict which they can still appeal.
In November, Khamenei's activist niece Farideh Moradkhani was arrested by authorities after calling on foreign governments to cut all ties with Tehran.
Videos shared on Twitter by 1500tasvir, an account that has 385,000 followers and focuses on Iran's protests, showed closed shops in commercial streets of Tehran, Isfahan, Ilam, Kermanshah, Najafabad, Arak, Babol, and Shiraz where security forces were forcing shopkeepers to open up their stores.
Reuters could not verify the videos.
President Ebrahim Raisi meanwhile gave a speech at the University of Tehran to mark Student Day.
Some students outside the main reception hall shouted "dishonourable" and "students will die but won't accept this government." A video shared by 1500tasvir showed students getting into verbal fights with plain clothed security forces.
Students protested in several universities across Iran such as Amir Kabir University in the capital, where they called for the "downfall of the whole regime" and shouted "death to Khamenei" according to footage shared by 1500tasvir.
In the northeastern city of Mashhad, students gathered outside Ferdowsi University and were threatened by people riding in a pick up truck who warned them they would be "summoned" and that it would end badly for them.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with a group of students in Tehran, Iran November 2, 2022. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
December 7, 2022
DUBAI (Reuters) - A sister of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has condemned his crackdown on nationwide protests and called on the widely-feared Revolutionary Guards to lay down their weapons, according to a letter published by her France-based son.Iran has been gripped by unrest since the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in police custody on Sept 16., and is facing a three-day general strike movement which started on Monday.
Badri Hosseini Khamenei, who lives in Iran and is the sister of Ayatollah Khamenei, criticised the clerical establishment starting from the time of the Islamic Republic's late founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to her brother's rule, the letter, dated "December 2022", said.
"I think it is appropriate now to declare that I oppose my brother's actions and I express my sympathy with all mothers mourning the crimes of the Islamic Republic, from the time of Khomeini to the current era of the despotic caliphate of Ali Khamenei," she wrote in the letter which was shared on Wednesday on the Twitter account of her son, Mahmoud Moradkhani.
"Ali Khamenei's Revolutionary Guards and mercenaries should lay down their weapons as soon as possible and join the people before it is too late," the letter said.
The Revolutionary Guards are Iran's elite force which has helped the country's establish proxies across the Middle East, and runs a vast business empire.
On Tuesday, the elite force shared a statement calling on the judiciary to "not show mercy to rioters, thugs and terrorists", in a sign that the authorities have no intention of easing their fierce crackdown on dissent.
Iran’s judiciary spokesman, Masoud Setayeshi, said on Tuesday that five people indicted in the killing of Basij militia member Rouhollah Ajamian were sentenced to death in a verdict which they can still appeal.
In November, Khamenei's activist niece Farideh Moradkhani was arrested by authorities after calling on foreign governments to cut all ties with Tehran.
Videos shared on Twitter by 1500tasvir, an account that has 385,000 followers and focuses on Iran's protests, showed closed shops in commercial streets of Tehran, Isfahan, Ilam, Kermanshah, Najafabad, Arak, Babol, and Shiraz where security forces were forcing shopkeepers to open up their stores.
Reuters could not verify the videos.
President Ebrahim Raisi meanwhile gave a speech at the University of Tehran to mark Student Day.
Some students outside the main reception hall shouted "dishonourable" and "students will die but won't accept this government." A video shared by 1500tasvir showed students getting into verbal fights with plain clothed security forces.
Students protested in several universities across Iran such as Amir Kabir University in the capital, where they called for the "downfall of the whole regime" and shouted "death to Khamenei" according to footage shared by 1500tasvir.
In the northeastern city of Mashhad, students gathered outside Ferdowsi University and were threatened by people riding in a pick up truck who warned them they would be "summoned" and that it would end badly for them.
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