Execution of Protester Highlights Ongoing Repression in Iran
The Iranian authorities carried out the execution of a 34-year-old man named Reza Rasaei on Tuesday, a grim reminder of the country’s harsh crackdown on dissent following the widespread protests that erupted in 2022. Rasaei’s death sentence was enacted following a trial that numerous human rights organizations condemned as deeply flawed and unjust.
According to the Mizan news agency, which operates under the supervision of Iran’s judiciary, Rasaei was executed early Tuesday morning at a prison located in Kermanshah, a city in western Iran. His execution occurs just weeks after the election of a reformist president, an event that many had hoped would signify a shift away from the hardline conservative rule that dominated during the protests.
However, the swift execution of Rasaei serves as a stark indication that significant reform may not be forthcoming. Amnesty International, a prominent human rights organization, condemned the execution, stating it was executed in secrecy and without prior notice to his family or legal counsel. Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, remarked that this act underscores the Iranian authorities’ brutal commitment to utilizing the death penalty as a means of political repression, aiming to instill fear among the populace. She stated, “It also dispels any illusions of human rights progress with a new president assuming power.”
Rasaei was among the tens of thousands of Iranians who took to the streets in 2022 to protest against the government, a movement ignited by the tragic death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, while in the custody of Iran’s morality police. The Iranian government responded with a sweeping crackdown, arresting over 18,000 individuals amid the months-long demonstrations.
According to Amnesty International, Rasaei was arrested in November 2022 in Shahriar, a town situated approximately 20 miles west of Tehran. Iranian authorities later accused him of being involved in the death of a member of the Revolutionary Guard during the protests. Rasaei consistently denied these allegations and reported experiencing ill-treatment and torture during his incarceration.
In October 2023, Rasaei was convicted of murder by a court in Kermanshah Province, a verdict that was marked by significant irregularities, as reported by both Amnesty International and Dadban, a group dedicated to providing pro bono legal assistance to Iranian political prisoners. Subsequently, he was sentenced to death. On Tuesday, Dadban shared a message on social media confirming Rasaei’s execution, noting that he had maintained his innocence until the very end.
Significantly, Rasaei belonged to Iran’s Kurdish minority, which constitutes about 10 percent of the nation’s population and has historically faced systemic discrimination. Mahsa Amini, the woman whose death sparked the protests, was also part of this marginalized community.
Leily Nikounazar contributed reporting.
