The letter from the Iran Labour Confederation – Abroad regarding the issuance of the death sentence for Toomaj Salehi and the increased risk of executing other political prisoners.
Since the Islamic Republic came to power, it has responded to all social demands with repression. Arrests, false accusations, and imprisoning workers, teachers, students, journalists, lawyers, artists, writers, and street protesters have become common practices in this regime. During these arrests, forced confessions and torture have also been standard tools used by the government to eliminate opponents.
During the widespread uprising of the Iranian people against the authority in 2022-2023, the Islamic Republic executed Mohsen Shekari on December 8, 2022. He was just 23 years old and worked at a cafe in Tehran.
On December 12, 2022, Majidreza Rahnavard was executed. He was also 23 and worked as a salesperson in a bag and shoe store.
Mohammad Mehdi Karami was the third young protester executed on January 7, 2023. He was 22 years old and worked as a street vendor with his father.
Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, another protester, was also executed on the same day, January 7, 2023. He was 40 years old and worked at the “Morghak Qazvin” poultry company.
Another 23-year-old young man, Mohammad Ghobadloo, was arrested and subsequently executed during the 2022-2023 public protests.
Saleh Mirhashemi, Saeed Yaghoubi, Majid Kazemi, and Milad Zahrevand were among those arrested and executed for protesting against the harsh living conditions and participating in protests. These cases are just a glimpse of the crimes committed by a regime that executes and kills its opponents without feeling accountable to public opinion. According to a report by Amnesty International, the Islamic Republic executed at least 853 people in Iran in 2023. This figure is unprecedented over the past eight years. Of these executions, 481 were related to drug-related crimes, which are directly tied to the poor economic situation in Iran.
In recent days, the threat of execution for some other detained protesters and political prisoners has intensified. Toumaj Salehi, who worked as a machinist in a metalworking workshop and had an interest in singing, was repeatedly arrested and tortured due to his protest songs, and now he has been sentenced to death.
Another protester named Reza (Gholamreza) Rasaei is also at risk of execution. Reza (Gholamreza) Rasaei, 34 years old, has a bachelor’s degree in business management and was engaged in beekeeping and honey selling before his arrest and imprisonment.
Habib Deris, a 40-year-old worker and another political prisoner, has been sentenced to death. Another detainee from the 2022-2023 uprising in Iran, Mojahed (Abbas) Kourkour, has also been sentenced to death.
Abbas Daris, who was an employee of the electricity department, was arrested by the security forces of the Islamic Republic during the November 2018 protests and subsequently sentenced to death on charges of waging war against the state. The enforcement of these sentences is now more serious than ever.
According to international organizations, the Islamic Republic of Iran has the highest rate of executions relative to its population in the world. With this horrific tool of suppression, it tries to intimidate society and eliminate opponents and protesters. In Iran and among Iranian political activists abroad, there has been a long-standing movement and campaigns against the death penalty, striving to abolish death sentences.
Iran Labour Confederation – Abroad, committed to fighting against execution and all forms of torture and advocating for human rights, human dignity, freedom of expression, the freedom of political and social activities, and social justice, condemns this inhumane practice. It believes that to abolish and prevent the issuance and execution of death sentences and protect the right to life, a powerful campaign and the intervention of the public opinion of freedom-loving people around the world are necessary.
In line with this, we will strive to make these realities clear to all international Labour organizations and call for their decisive action.
Iran Labour Confederation – Abroad
April 27, 2024
