Widespread Protests by Iranians in Germany and Europe Against Execution Sentences in Iran

Iranian political currents outside the country, along with the Center for Iranian Political Refugees in Berlin and the Democratic Forum of Iranians in Germany, protested the execution sentences for those arrested during November 2019 protests in Iran through various methods.

The issuance of execution sentences for a group of those arrested during the November 2019 protests in Iran faced numerous reactions both inside and outside the country. These protests, which occurred in the fall of last year due to increased gasoline prices, were suppressed in the bloodiest manner. A group of activists and organizations outside the country, in protest of the continued suppression from November 2019, which is reflected in the execution sentences for those arrested in these protests, made efforts to sensitize public opinion to this issue and called for an end to killings, imprisonment, and executions in Iran.

In this regard, a group of Iranians gathered on Tuesday, July 10 (June 30) in front of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic in the city at the invitation of the Center for Iranian Political Refugees in Berlin and the Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners in Iran in Berlin.

These two organizations in Berlin in their call for this gathering referred to the increase in “poverty and unemployment” and the worsening of living and economic conditions of “the majority of the Iranian people” and wrote that “the regime has begun a new round of suppression and pressure on political activists, women, workers and students from fear of the return of the protest atmosphere of society to November 2019.»

In this call, a list of unjust sentences was mentioned; including sentences of flogging, imprisonment and execution for Amir Hossein Moradi, Saeed Tamjidi and Mohammad Rajabi, the sentence of “corruption on earth” for 8 protesters from December 2017 and November 2019, imprisonment sentence for 42 workers of the Azirarb complex in Arak who were summoned and arrested during strikes and marches in September 2019 or flogging and forced labor for them.

Also, the secret execution of Heydar Abdollahpour, a Kurdish political prisoner last month, the poor health condition of Zeynab Jalalian, a Kurdish political prisoner who contracted coronavirus in Qarchak prison, and the five-year prison sentence for Sepideh Qolian, one of the convicts in the Haft Tappeh sugar cane case in Khuzestan.

The Center for Iranian Political Refugees in Berlin and the Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners in Iran in Berlin have called for the annulment of all execution sentences and the immediate and unconditional release of all detained political-ideological activists.

“The Government, Fearing a People’s Uprising, Has Resorted to Executing Youth“

On July 9 (June 29), four other political currents, namely “Union of Iranian Republicans,” “Left Party of Iran (Fadaiian-e Khalq),” “Organizations of the National Front of Iran Outside the Country,” and “Solidarity of Iranian Republicans” protested the suppression, imprisonment, and issuance of execution sentences in Iran.

They wrote in a statement: “Seven months have passed since the bloody suppression of people’s protests in November 2019. While Amnesty International has published details of the deaths of 304 protesters and news agencies citing sources from within the government have announced the number of victims of government killings at 1,500 people, the government itself, after months, has announced the number between 200 and 220. The Islamic Republic did not find the killing of hundreds of countrymen sufficient and wants to kill more.»

According to these four political currents, the confirmation of execution sentences and threats to issue even more such sentences “demonstrate the government’s fear of a people’s uprising, given the country’s dire conditions” and “express the government’s incompetence and inability to respond to people’s needs and to prepare broader measures against them in the future.”

These four political currents stated that Iran is dealing with a coronavirus epidemic, but the leaders of the Islamic Republic “instead of solving the people’s enormous economic and health problems and preventing further deaths, threaten the people with imprisonment and execution.”

They referred to the closure of the “Imam Ali Society” organization and the arrest of its founders and wrote: “People-based aid organizations like Imam Ali Society are also not tolerated because they were able to gather more than ten thousand members relying on people’s assistance and provide many needy individuals with support coverage. The government, in trying instead of entrusting the administration of the country to the hands of its own people and their true representatives, to oppose people’s desire to change the current situation and transition to a free and democratic society, tries to create as many obstacles and barriers as possible.”

These four parties and political organizations have called for the annulment of execution sentences and the unconditional release of political prisoners.

Open Letter from the Democratic Forum of Iranians to Germany’s Federal Human Rights Commissioner

On Monday, July 9, the Democratic Forum of Iranians in Germany in the city of Mainz wrote a letter to Barbel Kofler, Germany’s Federal Human Rights Commissioner:

“You have repeatedly stated that the duty of the human rights commissioner of the Federal Republic of Germany is: ‘To support human rights and work towards the implementation of human rights throughout the world. This issue is a core duty of Germany’s foreign policy. However, in the axis of international actions of the German government, there is not only a focus on supporting human rights and creating an international political atmosphere in this regard, but what is most important is acting to protect those who are threatened and harmed by human rights violations.’

Through this open letter, we ask you to do everything possible to prevent further executions in Iran. You know that blatant human rights violations in Iran are common and part of the policy of the Iranian regime. It is also clear in what rank Iran stands in the world because of executions.”

They asked Barbel Kofler to work in regular contact with European Union institutions and organs of European cooperation, the Council of Europe and the United Nations to support human rights in Iran and wrote:

“You know that the Federal Republic of Germany has bilateral political and economic relations with Iran, which also began with an important ‘critical dialogue.’ We want to ask you as a representative of human rights of the Federal Republic of Germany to do everything possible to prevent the execution of Iranian people and to condemn the totalitarian regime in Iran. We are concerned about many political prisoners in Iran who, after arrest, are either facing imprisonment and torture or being executed. This is completely incompatible with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as the Iranian regime has become enriched through economic pressure on the poor and treats the people of this country in this way.”

Source: DW