(Video) Increasing executions in Iran rendering new popular protests
Relatives of death row in Iran continued their protests for the sixth day in Tehran asking authorities to halt executions. Parents, wives, and children chanted “Don’t execute!” & “No to executions!” protesting the recent wave of executions all over the country.
According to the regime’s own statistics, 57 people were executed from August 23 to September 11. This number of executions in Iran in less than three weeks is unprecedented in past years. These protests by relatives are raising concerns among regime officials.
The challenge by these protesting families is going beyond the regime’s expectations, especially with specific questions raised in their slogans: “Until when should we remain silent while they kill us?!” “We don’t want you to kill more people!”
The protests by these families deliver a blow to the regime’s very core. The mullahs know very well that any slowing in the number of executions across the country will result in deep rifts that can easily lead to a massive backlash from people in Iran.
As reports indicate, parallel to executions, the regime issued more rulings on chopping hands and cutting off fingers . These medieval measures are specifically aimed at installing fear among Iran’s restive society and preventing further uprisings.
To this day the mullahs’ regime has sought to justify capital punishment as a necessary response to various crimes under their own so-called constitution.
Mothers, fathers, wives, and children of inmates sentenced to death held placards and chanted “Don’t execute!” and “No to executions!” protesting the regime’s recent wave of executions launched across the country.
Authorities have constantly dispatched security forces to attack and disperse the protesting family members.
The protesting relatives, however, have continued their rallies and chanted numerous slogans against the regime. On Sunday, state police units attacked the protesting families and arrested 20 of the demonstrators.
Despite these protests, regime officials remain steadfast in their ongoing wave of executions, sending group after group to the gallows.
According to the regime’s own statistics, 57 people were executed from August 23 to September 11.
This number of executions in Iran in less than three weeks is unprecedented in the past few years.
While Iran’s regime has been continuously executing dissidents and prisoners for the past 43 years, these recent protests by relatives of death row inmates are raising concerns among regime officials.
To this day the mullahs’ regime has sought to justify capital punishment as a necessary response to various crimes under their own so-called constitution.
However, the challenge by these protesting families is going beyond the regime’s expectations, especially with specific questions raised in their slogans:
“Until when should we remain silent while they kill us?!” “Do we deserve to be poor?!” “We don’t want you to kill more people!”
One young individual in these rallies said, “They have not only executed my father, but they have also executed us and all our families.” This signals a growing political understanding of the status quo in Iran, the very phenomenon that the mullahs’ regime has been attempting to prevent for four decades now.
Coinciding with the families’ protests, reports are indicating a tense atmosphere inside the regime’s prisons where inmates are raising their voices in protests against the mullahs’ horrific wave of executions and human rights violations.
Prison officials and security guards are on high alert, taking measures to confront any possible prison riots and prevent escapes from their facilities.
Despite the fact that inmates’ families were holding peaceful rallies and voicing their protests against senior regime officials, the question is why can’t the regime tolerate such simple gatherings? Why did they resort to oppressive measures on the fifth day of these protests, attacking women and children, and arresting dozens of demonstrators?
The truth is that the mullahs’ regime is in no position to halt their executions, especially when they are facing numerous domestic and international crises.
As reports indicate, parallel to executions, the regime’s so-called judiciary is issuing more rulings of gouging out eyes and cutting off fingers of various inmates.
These medieval measures are specifically aimed at installing fear among Iran’s restive society and preventing further uprisings similar to that of November 2019.
The protests by these families deliver a blow to the regime’s very core, who know that executions are their main weapon against Iranian society.
The mullahs know very well that any slowing in the number of executions across the country will result in deep rifts that can easily lead to a massive backlash from the Iranian population.
The paradox before regime officials is that the executions used to quell public dissent are becoming the very source of public protests.
More people voicing solidarity with the families of those executed by the regime and this can potentially pave the path for widespread public protests that the regime can no longer contain.
Shahin Gobadi
NCRI
+33 6 61 65 32 31
email us here
The protesters were holding signs with slogans “No to execution” and “Don’t execute!” Security forces prevented the protesters from continuing their rally.
