The IRI’s “Execution Binge” On January 16, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI) reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) has executed over 97 people in the past 30 days, among whom four were prisoners of conscience. The IRI is averaging one execution every eight hours since the start of 2011. Currently, the IRI executes more people per capita than any other country in the world, and is second only to China in number of executions overall. On January 24, 2011, the IRI executed two post-election protesters, Mr. Jafar Kazemi and Mr. Mohammad Ali Haj Aghaee on charges of “moharebeh” (enmity against God) – a charge that, under Iranian law, is dealt to those who take up arms against the state. No such evidence was presented in the cases of Mr. Kazemi and Mr. Aghaee, and in the end, the evidence used against them included sending footage of election protests abroad. As the ICHRI notes, “Moharebeh has become the Iranian Judiciary’s catch-all justification for killing political dissidents.” Only days ago did the IRI also execute Zahra Bahrami, an Iranian-Dutch post-election protester. And now with the IRI’s insistence that the executions in Iran are not the international community’s business, we must take a stand and assure the IRI that human rights have always been, and will always be, the business of the entire world.
Messaging & Demands: Urge an End to Executions this 22 Bahman Last year, human rights groups gathered during 22 Bahman (February 12) to help build momentum around the anticipated protests inside Iran.This year, we encourage rights organizations and activists worldwide to use 22 Bahman as an opportunity to condemn the recent execution binge and urge the IRI to:
- Institute an immediate moratorium on all executions;
- Conduct independent reviews of pending death penalty cases; and
- Abolish the death penalty all together.
- In addition, we encourage the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to appoint a human rights monitor on Iran.
Join In!
Host a Rally
One of the five posters available for download
Print-and-Mail Postcards
Keep Iran's Hearts Beating - Postcard Front
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*U4I will mail a postcard on your behalf with a small donation. We recommend a $5 donation in order to offset the costs of printing and mailing. All the funds received for postcard donations will go directly to mailing as many postcards as possible. Under the “Program Designation” drop-box on the donation page simply choose “Postcard Donations” to ensure your donation goes to the postcard campaign. Click here to donate.
What’s Next?
- Read up on the messaging and demands of the day.
- Download and print pre-made posters. Learn how to print posters in a large-size from your home computer here.
- E-mail us your event details to be shared on the U4I event calendar and event map locator.
- Print-and-mail postcards either individually or take them en masse to your event and encourage participants to sign and mail them. An easy way to cover the costs of postage and printing is to ask participants for a $1 donation when filling out a postcard.
- Take plenty of footage of your event and e-mail it to share@united4iran.org to be shared worldwide. Record your support and ensure that the Iranian people see it.
Together, we can ensure that the IRI hears our condemnations of the country’s execution binge. Together, we will show the Islamic Republic of Iran that its systematic human rights violations remain the business of the entire world.