A political prisoner was sentenced to death in Iran after he participated in the 2022 protests against the Iranian government, which began in September after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was arrested for improperly wearing her hijab and later found dead under police custody.
Political prisoner Shahriar Bayat, 64, imprisoned for participating in the 2022 protests, has been sentenced to public hanging by the Tehran Criminal Court on charges of "insulting the Prophet."https://t.co/e0uhmk0Q63
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) April 1, 2024
The Tehran Criminal Court sentenced 64-year-old Shahriar Bayat to public hanging on charges of "insulting the Prophet." The court based its verdict on social media posts attributed to Bayat before ordering him to be executed by hanging for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
Bayat was arrested on October 25, 2022, amidst the massive demonstrations that occurred after the death of Mahsa Amini under police custody. He was initially detained for his involvement in protests along with accusations of “propaganda against the regime, insulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and spreading falsehoods on social media.”
This is nonsense, absolute nonsense. Why must anyone play God, if Iran actually believe in Allah and their Allah created everything and have power over all,then allow your Allah to be the judge and not you.
— Ejiofor Churchil (@Ejioforchurch) April 1, 2024
However, Bayat later faced additional charges filed by the Iranian regime, including “social unrest and conspiracy against national security.”
His death sentence is the latest in a series of death sentences handed down by the Iranian government to those arrested for their involvement in the demonstrations. Last year alone, the Iranian government executed over 800 individuals.
@UN anything to say? Or do you only care when it’s Palestinians?
— AMANDA BOYD (@amandajboyd) April 1, 2024
Two Iranians, Yousef Mehrad and Sadrollah Fazeli-Zare, also faced similar charges and were hanged in Arak Prison in May last year for "insulting the Prophet and sacred values."
Nine other protesters were also executed in connection with the uprising, including Mohsen Shekari, Majidreza Rahnavard, Mohammad Hosseini, Mohammad Mehdi Karami, Majid Kazemi, Saeed Yaghoubi, Saleh Mirhashemi, Milad Zohrevand, and Mohammad Ghobadloo.
Public hanging has been implemented in Iran since the establishment of the Islamic Republic following the Iranian Revolution in 1979. One prominent incident of public hanging being used against dissidents was in 1988 when prisoners who were charged with “waging war on God,” along with members of leftist organizations such as the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (also known as the MeK), were hanged from cranes by direct orders from Ayatollah Khomeini himself.
