/ IHRights#Iran: Hossein Amaninejad and Hamed Yavari were executed in Hamedan Central Prison on 11 June. Hossein was arrested… https://t.co/3lnMTwFH6z13 Jun

Mahan Sadrat at Imminent Risk of Execution; Need for Urgent Action and International Campaign to Save Protesters

10 Dec 22
Mahan Sadrat at Imminent Risk of Execution; Need for Urgent Action and International Campaign to Save Protesters

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 10, 2022: Official media have reported the confirmation of protester Mahan Sadrat-Marani’s death sentence which has been sent for implementation. Like all other death row prisoners, he was denied any access to his lawyer during the interrogations, proceedings and show trial.

Having previously called for domestic and international campaigns to prevent protester executions, Iran Human Rights emphasises and insists on the need for decisive and co-ordinated action by civil society, governments and international organisations.

Director Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam said: “The Islamic Republic has raised the level of violence against protesters by starting their executions. Under such circumstances, the backlash both at home and abroad must be stronger than ever before. Protester executions can only be prevented by raising their political cost for the Islamic Republic.”

According to Shargh, protester Mahan Sadrat-Marani’s death sentence has been sent for implementation.

Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court presided over by Judge Iman Afshari sentenced Mahan to death for charges of “moharebeh (enmity against god) through drawing a cold weapon (knife) in way that caused an environment of insecurity and fear”, “assembly and collusion against national security, setting fire to the private plaintiff’s motorbike, destroying his phone and causing intentional injury with a knife.”

Mahan denied being in possession of knife in court. His father, Kazem told Shargh: “They say it’s a security case and we don’t know what to do…Mahan was born in 1378 (1998-1999). He repeated in court many times in court that he didn’t have a knife but they sentenced him moharebeh and now they say the case has  been sent for implementation.”

Mahan was tried on November 3, which according to official reports, was just a month after his arrest.

The Judiciary's deceit to speed up executions and lower costs

The judicial system threatens families of protesters facing death penalty charges to stay quiet by providing false hopes of saving them, thereby preventing their cases from becoming public which lowers the cost for the Islamic Republic.

Protester Mohsen Shekari was executed on December 8 without any prior official mention of his name. At least ten other protesters who received death penalty sentences are at imminent risk of execution.

Families of the protesters are coerced into silence by being promised that there would be a possibility of charges being changed if they stay silent. However, silence about a case lowers its political cost and according to the Islamic Republic past behaviour and patterns, increases the risk of execution.

Iran Human Rights had previously warned of the danger of imminent protester executions. Yesterday, several Iranian activists wrote an open letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, asking him to react to Mohsen Shekari’s execution and Islamic Republic’s increasing repression.