Ahwaz Public Hangings

prisoner hangedThe Iranian regime publicly hanged two opponents, Ali Afravi and Mehdi Navaseri, Wednesday March 1, 2006, for alleged bombing in the southern city of Ahwaz.

A crowd consisting of members of the Revolutionary Guards and paramilitary Basij forces gathered at the scene of the execution and chanted rhetoric against the US, UK, and the Israel, according to a report.  The trial of the two prisoners did not meet minimum international standards.

The two victims were brought on television the night before their execution to confess.  Their confessions, obviously dictated to them by regime officials, were ambiguous such as being in contact with Canada and United States.

Although not much is known about these two victims, from their TV interview it seems obvious that they were political activists or at least they were charged with such crimes.

Besides the above, there were many reports of executions, some public, in Iran.  The victims were all under the age of 30

Ruz, a state-run daily, reported that last month, the regime’s Judiciary issued more than 30 death sentences. 

The mullah’s regime has dramatically escalated the wave of executions during recent days in Iran on the eve of its referral to the UN Security Council in an effort to stem rising public demonstrations and uprisings.

Internal reports indicate that the Iranian regime, following the execution of a member of the Iranian Resistance, Hojjat Zamani, has moved most political prisoners to solitary confinements where their fate is unknown.

It is feared that the mullahs may be planning mass executions of especially political prisoners in order to survive through possible future rebellion.

Stop Fundamentalism would like to draw the attention of the UN Security Council and all human rights organizations to the increasing trend of executions in Iran. 

We call on all humanitarian organizations and individuals to join us to condemn and prevent these acts against humanity.