Political figures and activists are still fighting to prevent the execution of Reza Rasaei, who is detained for his involvement in nationwide protests in Iran last year.
Reza Rasaei, a member of the marginalized Kurdish and Yarsan minorities in Iran, was sentenced to death on October 7 for allegedly killing a Revolutionary Guards agent on false charges.
The victim, Nader Beirami, head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Intelligence in Sanandaj, was identified by Iranian state media. Rasaei adamantly denies any involvement.
Dadban, a group of pro-bono Iranian lawyers advocating for political prisoners and activists, reported in October that Beirami was killed in a clash between security forces and protesters during the commemoration of a prominent Yarsan figure’s death.
The Yarsan faith, also known as Ahl-e Haqq, is one of the oldest Middle Eastern religious traditions and has about three million followers in Iran, mainly in the western Kurdish regions.
The Yarsan community faces several challenges, including difficulties in registering their children as Yarsan at birth, constraints on constructing places of worship, and the constant fear of persecution.
Security authorities blamed Beirami’s murder on Rasaei without providing any evidence, witnesses, or documents, according to human rights organizations such as Dadban and Hengaw.
After Rasaei’s trial in the second branch of the Kermanshah Province Criminal Court, Amnesty International issued a warning about his impending execution.
The international human rights organization stated that Rasaei was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, including electric shocks and severe beatings, during interrogations to coerce his forced “confessions”.
Australian parliamentarian Keith Wolahan mentioned in a tweet that they have not “forgotten him or the cause he stands for”.
“I have seen Amnesty International alerts about imminent political executions by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Reza Rasaei is one of them,” he wrote on X.
During the Israel-Hamas war, Iran has executed at least 229 people since October 7 alone, including women and minors, as the government’s execution spree continues.
Iran’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights described the level of killings, torture, and brutality against minorities as “shocking.”
Javaid Rehman revealed at an event in London on December 9 that more than half of the people killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests were from Baluch and Kurdish provinces.
According to Amnesty International, the Iranian government executes more people each year than any other country except China.
According to a report in November by the Norway-based Iran Human Rights, 604 people were executed in the first ten months of the year, the highest number in eight years, including mass executions.
In 2022, the rights group recorded 582 executions, with the highest recent records being 972 in 2015.