Iranian opposition leaders condemn executions

Ayatollah Bayat Zanjani

Iranian opposition leaders criticized the recent charge of “mohareb” (enemy of God) laid against some election protesters which has resulted in a series of death sentences being issued by the judiciary.

Ayatollah Bayat Zanjani claimed those who “have poured the blood of people” are the true “enemies of God.”

Street demonstrations of election protesters on Ashura Day led to violence when security and pro-government forces confronted protesters and caused the death of at least seven people.

The Shiite cleric, who was speaking in a meeting of the Islamic Association of Tehran University’s Law department, claimed you can’t call “people who have come empty-handed just to complain about a form of action” enemies of God.

Iranian judiciary has charged 16 detainees of Ashura Day protests with Moharebeh (enmity with God) and the death sentence of 11 of them has already been issued.

Two of those sentences were carried out last Thursday and drew the condemnation of numerous human rights groups.

Yesterday former president, Mohammad Khatami also spoke out against government’s violent confrontation with protesters and condemned executions as a method of dealing with civil protests.

He claimed we cannot call someone “seditious” just because they have protested against something and uttered a criticism.

However, Iranian judiciary went on to announce today that nine more election detainees will soon face execution.

Iran's judiciary deputy, Ebrahim Reisi

Ebrahim Reisi, a judiciary official announced that “Each of these individuals were connected to anti-revolutionary movements and had participated in the recent disturbances in order to create divisions and topple the system.”

He also denied reports that the charges of the two dissidents executed on Thursday were not connected to election protests. The lawyers of the two have charged that their clients were arrested prior to the election; however, the judiciary’s sentencing was based on “Enmity with God through participation in the post-election unrest.”

Reisi defended the judiciary’s decision to execute the two men and claimed the judiciary will make every effort to confront “rioters” and cut off the “roots of sedition.”