Wave of 'Execution' on Christmas... Iranian Footballer Also on the List

Despite International Criticism, Bloody Suppression and Death Penalty Executions
CNN "At Least 43 Facing Death Penalty... Including Soccer Players"

At least 43 individuals imprisoned for hijab protests in Iran are reportedly facing execution, according to foreign media reports.

The hijab protests were sparked last September in Tehran, the capital of Iran, after Mahsa Amini (22), a Kurdish woman, was detained by police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly and subsequently died under suspicious circumstances. The anti-government protests, which spread across Iran, have continued for over three months. Recently, the Iranian national football team, which participated in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, also made headlines by refusing to sing the national anthem before matches in solidarity with the protests.

On the 21st (local time), the Iran national football team, which participated in the Group B first match of the Qatar World Cup held at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, did not sing the national anthem during the anthem performance before the start of the match. Photo by AP Yonhap News

However, the Iranian authorities have violently suppressed the protests, resulting in hundreds of arrests and deaths among participants. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), as of the 18th, approximately 18,000 protesters have been detained, and 502 have lost their lives.

Dozens of detainees have been sentenced to death. Notably, at least 43 of them are reportedly facing imminent execution. On the 23rd (local time), the US-based CNN reported, "While the West is engrossed in Christmas celebrations, a wave of executions is imminent in Iran."

On the 1st (local time), in Arbil, Kurdistan Autonomous Region in northern Iraq, members of the Kurdish armed group 'Peshmerga,' affiliated with the Kurdish separatist party Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), stood in formation holding Kurdish flags. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The list of those facing execution includes Iranian footballer Amir Nasr Azadani (26). According to the Iranian state-run IRNA, the judiciary claims that Azadani, who participated in the anti-government protests, killed three security personnel in the central Iranian city of Isfahan on the 16th of last month. Supreme Court Chief Justice Asadollah Jafari stated, "Azadani has been charged with rioting against the authorities," adding, "We have obtained videos and sufficient documents proving that he is a member of an armed group, and he has already confessed."

Previously, the Iranian judiciary executed two anti-government protesters. On the 8th, Mosen Shekari was executed for occupying a road in Tehran and injuring security forces with a weapon, and on the 12th, Majidreza Rahnavard was executed for killing security forces in the eastern city of Mashhad. Rahnavard’s execution was carried out publicly on a city street, shocking many.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.