There have been multiple reports in the media about protests in Iran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She was killed after being beaten while in custody following her arrest for “unsuitable attire.”
It was in October that the Biden Administration announced it was going to bring sanctions against 14 Iranian officials in response to the brutal government crackdown.
But the Iranian parliament does not seem phased by the move of the United States. They instead chose to crack down even harder by voting to execute the 15,000 protesters who have been arrested. The vote was not even close; 227 to 63 in favor of the mass execution.
These men and women were peaceful protestors who just wanted the right to basic justice and autonomy.
The parliament in Iran indicated that those protesting were “rebels” who needed a “hard lesson.”
Newsweek wrote that Iranian lawmakers called for strict punishment for the protestors, and CNN reported that a letter was signed by 227 members of the parliament urging that the protestors be given harsh punishment because it “would serve as a good lesson in the shortest possible time.”
“Now, the public, even protesters who are not supportive of riots, demand from the judiciary and security institutions to deal with the few people who have caused disturbances in a firm, deterrent, and legal manner,” Iranian government spokesman Masoud Setayeshi said, according to Reuters.
On Tuesday, the vote was made, and the death penalty was mandated on all protestors in custody. The same people who signed the letter voted for the barbaric punishment.
This has caused a great deal of outrage among the public in Iran. Journalist Amid Memarian challenged the world to respond.
He wrote, “Outrageous! After killing 100s of protesters on the streets & a violent crackdown, 227 MPs in Iran called the protesters Mohareb & asked the judiciary to issue ‘retribution’ sentences [execution]. The world should respond. Dangerous!”
He is pleading for the world to stop this act of “terror” against people who simply were chanting “Woman Life Freedom.”
BBC Reports Death Sentence Issued For Protestor in Iran
The BBC reported on Monday that a Revolutionary Court in Tehran issued the first death sentence for a protestor.
“A court in Iran has issued the first death sentence to a person arrested for taking part in the protests that have engulfed the country,” BBC reported.
The Tehran court found that the defendant, who was not named, had set fire to a government facility and was guilty of “enmity against God.”
Another court jailed five people for between 5 and 10 years on national security and public order charges.
One human rights group watching this barbaric action in Iran warned that Iranian officials might move with “hasty executions.”
A Norway-based Iran Human Rights group cited official reports that indicate at least 20 people are being currently charged with acts punishable by death.
Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor, said this in a statement, “We are deeply concerned about reports from Iran of mass arrests, sham trials, and now a death sentence for protesters voicing legitimate demands against a government that systematically denies basic dignity and freedom to its people.”
Sullivan went further saying that the death sentences come at a time when the eyes of the world are on Iran. He said that the human rights abuses will not go without consequence and that hundreds of protestors already killed in Iran deserve justice.
He promised that the United States, along with her allies, will continue to pursue accountability for those responsible for these abuses.
The European Union has already announced sanctions on Iran.
“We stand with the Iranian people and support their right to protest peacefully and voice their demands and views freely,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
