Iran’s Gulag Archipelago Dissidents face death sentences, mom of murdered protester beaten in jail, dad denied lifesaving treatment. by Christine Williams
https://www.frontpagemag.com/irans-gulag-archipelago/
More news of Iran’s brutal crackdown on dissidents — from murders during protests to death sentences and torture. “Two Iranian Protesters Face Charges Punishable by Death,” Iran International, June 30, 2024:
Eight detainees from Iran’s 2022 nationwide uprising following Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody were tried in a Revolutionary Court on Sunday, with some facing charges punishable by death.
The individuals—Nasim Gholami Simiyari, Hamidreza Sahlabadi, Amin Sokhanvar, Ali Harati Mokhtari, Hossein Mohammad Hosseini, Amir Shah-Velayati, Ehsan Ravazjian, and Hossein Ardestani—were tried by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.
Among them, Gholami Simiyari and Sahlabadi faced charges of “armed rebellion against the Islamic Republic,” which can lead to harsh sentences including the death penalty.
During the court session, Gholami Simiyari denied all charges, stating that her confessions were coerced through pressure and torture by security officers, and prolonged solitary confinement….
Another case in Iran: Mona Bakhtiari, whose 27-year-old brother, Pouya Bakhtiari, was shot in the head by Iran’s police during the 2019 wave of pro-democracy protests, reports that her mother, Nahid Shirpisheh, is being harshly beaten in prison. At least 1,500 people were killed by regime security forces in 2019.
Bakhtiari says that the Ministry of Intelligence summoned her mother two months ago, demanding she confess on camera that her son Pouya was a “troublemaker who intended to shoot at officers.”
Mona Bakhtiari’s father, Manouchehr Bakhtiari, is also suffering in jail. His life is in danger because of an illness for which prison authorities refuse to grant him proper treatment.
Mona, who lost her brother — and with both parents in jail — represents the determination of Iran’s dissidents. She said:
We are ready to be killed, because this life is much worse than death.
Now comes more news, the full implications of which are yet to be revealed:
One point is certain: the family of Pouya Bakhtiari is under scrutiny and will continue to be targeted by the regime. This case also exposes why the brutal Iranian regime is deeply threatened by dissidents. There is only so long that a people will endure the yoke of brutally oppressive regimes. Already, “at least eight people were hanged over trumped-up charges related to the nationwide protests of 2022.”
Iran’s campaign of intimidation and terror isn’t restricted to Iran. Its proxies and thugs carry out the regime’s bidding against dissidents on Western soil as well. Last week, an Iranian dissident managed to escape an assassination attempt at his home near Amsterdam. The regime targeted Siamak Tadayon Tahmasebi on accusations of “leading a ‘terrorist’ ring inside Iran from exile.” The Islamic regime also “linked Tahmasebi to the Israeli secret service.” Iranian journalists outside Iran are also targets.
Comments are closed.
