THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:00 PM CET
Iran Protests at a Glance
Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran
Saturday, May 20, 2023 – 8 PM GMT + 1
On Saturday, Iran’s regime continued its brutal surge in executions across the country. The mullahs’ regime has sent at least 122 inmates to the gallows since April 21, tallying one execution every six hours during this period.
May 20 – Isfahan, central #Iran
Brave youth attacked a base of the regime's IRGC paramilitary Basij early Saturday morning in response to the mullahs' execution of three protesters on Friday.#StopExecutionsInIran #قیام_جواب_اعدام pic.twitter.com/zhqbAGZ48O— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 20, 2023
In response to the recent execution of three arrested protesters, brave youth in Isfahan, central Iran, attacked a base of the regime’s IRGC paramilitary Basij early Saturday morning. There have been other operations and activities by the defiant youth, as well as the Resistance Units, a network affiliated with Iran’s principal opposition, Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK). These measures include:
- Brave youths attacked at least two bases of the IRGC paramilitary Basij in Isfahan and another in Tehran
May 19 – Tehran, #Iran
Brave youths attacked an IRGC paramilitary Basij base in the country's capital in response to the execution of three protesters in Isfahan on Friday.#StopExecutionsInIran #قیام_جواب_اعدام pic.twitter.com/JjSg1tiF34— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 20, 2023
- Brave youths attacked a religious site in Ardabil that is used by the regime to promote the mullahs’ ideology of hatred, misogyny, and fundamentalism
- MEK Resistance Units in Kerman torched a large poster of Khamenei, regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini, and former IRGC Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani
May 19 – Kerman, south-central #Iran
MEK Resistance Units torched a large poster of regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini, and former IRGC Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani.#StopExecutionsInIran #قیام_جواب_اعدام pic.twitter.com/3MJTy1qIPo— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 20, 2023
On Friday night, protesters in Tehran torched a large poster of the regime’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Authorities in Qezel Hesar Prison of Karaj, located west of the capital Tehran, executed three inmates early Saturday morning. The families of these inmates had rallied outside of Qezel Hesar Prison on Friday and called on the Iranian people to join their gathering in an effort to save the lives of their loved ones.
May 19 – Karaj, west of Tehran, #Iran
Regime security forces have opened fire on the families of death row inmates in Qezel Hesar Prison.#StopExecutionsInIran #قیام_جواب_اعدام pic.twitter.com/cpFcs5Ut9u— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 19, 2023
Tehran University students gathered on Saturday to protest the recently strict rules and regulations imposed by campus officials and security. Also in Tehran, Tarbiat Modares University students held a gathering on May 20, protesting Friday’s execution of three protesters in Isfahan.
May 20 – Tehran, #Iran
Tehran University students held a gathering to protest the recently strict rules and regulations imposed by campus officials and security.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/LeHPDVYFzr— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 20, 2023
National University students in Tehran also held a rally protesting the execution of three protesters in Isfahan while also voicing solidarity with the victims’ families. Campus security and the regime’s oppressive forces attacked the protesting students in response.
May 20 – Tehran, #Iran
National University students held a rally and protested the execution of three protesters in Isfahan.
"We swear on the blood of our compatriots that we stand to the end!"#StopExecutionsInIran #قیام_جواب_اعدام pic.twitter.com/PwkHEEZPmC— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 20, 2023
Zanjan University students in northwest Iran were protesting new strict campus rules and regulations on Saturday while also voicing solidarity with the families of execution victims in Isfahan.
Locals in the capital’s Sattarkhan and Ekbatan districts launched anti-regime rallies on Friday afternoon and evening, chanting, “Down with Khamenei, the murderer!”
Similar protests were reported in Tehran’s Ekbatan, Naziabad, and Sadeghiyeh districts and Takhti Avenue. Activists also reported similar protests in other cities, including Karaj, Mashhad, Mahabad, Dehgolan, Golshahr, Bandar Abbas , and Podol in Hormozgan Province.
May 19 – Podol, Hormozgan Province, southern #Iran
Locals are protesting this morning's execution in Isfahan's Dastgerd Prison by establishing roadblocks.#StopExecutionsInIran #قیام_جواب_اعدام pic.twitter.com/0QzlxK2Ytc— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 19, 2023
May 19 – Mahabad, western #Iran
Locals are protesting this morning's execution in Isfahan's Dastgerd Prison by establishing roadblocks.#StopExecutionsInIran #قیام_جواب_اعدام pic.twitter.com/EeWF3OX72o— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 19, 2023
UPDATE: 10:00 AM CET
British MPs And Peers Strongly Condemn Today’s Execution of Three Protesters in Iran
The British Committee for Iran Freedom strongly condemns the execution of three protesters in Iran today. This latest wave of executions, bringing the total to 112 in the past month, is a clear human rights violation and a desperate attempt by the regime in Iran to intimidate the public and prevent them from protesting against its oppressive policies.
We stand with the people of Iran and the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, in their pursuit of justice and accountability. The international community must act urgently to stop the Iranian regime’s ongoing campaign of terror and brutality against its own citizens.
The British Committee for Iran Freedom supports and reiterates Mrs. Rajavi’s call to the United Nations and its member states to hold the regime in Iran to account for its gross violation of human rights, a deadly crackdown on protests and to take concrete steps to support the Iranian people’s quest for freedom and democracy.
Un Rights Experts ‘Deeply Alarmed’ at Continuing Executions of Iran Protesters
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, said in a statement that the executions on Friday of Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi and Saeed Yaghoubi, were “profoundly concerning in view of the reported involvement of these individuals in the protests that commenced in Iran on 16 September 2022, and allegations of their having been convicted and sentenced through confessions obtained under torture.”
🇮🇷 IRAN: The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of #Iran is deeply alarmed at the continuing executions of protesters pending investigations of alleged #HumanRights violations. Full statement here ➡️ https://t.co/VKEjmVhC7w pic.twitter.com/WU4zUTx7TI
— United Nations Human Rights Council (@UN_HRC) May 19, 2023
The three-person body, which is mandated to investigate all alleged violations relating to the protests, had previously asked Iranian authorities for information in relation to imposition of the death penalty on some of those exercising their right to protest.
“The Fact-Finding Mission reminds all State authorities and individuals involved in this process, that any execution following a fair trial violation would amount to arbitrary deprivation of life and a violation of international law”, the statement concluded.
G7 Draft Communique Voices ‘Grave Concern’ Over Iran’s Nuclear Programme
HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 19 (Reuters) – Leaders of the Group of Seven advanced nations “remain deeply concerned about Iran’s unabated escalation of its nuclear programme”, according to a draft version of their communique seen by Reuters on Friday.
“We reiterate our clear determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon,” said the draft from the start of a three-day summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
“We express our grave concern regarding Iran’s continued destabilising activities, including the transfer of missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS) and related technologies to state and non-state actors.”
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CET
Iran’s Mullahs Executed at Least 16 Inmates to Quell Escalating Anti-Regime Protests
The mullahs’ regime in Iran resorted to executing at least 16 inmates on Thursday as the ruling dictatorship seeks to install fear throughout the country and thus end or at least contain the nation’s escalating protests. Prisons in the cities of Khorramabad, Kerman, Sanandaj, Rasht, and Jiroft saw their authorities send inmates to the gallows yesterday as the mullahs’ regime is growing all the more desperate in the face of a nation that is determined to bring an end to their murderous rule despite all the obstacles and against all odds. Early Friday morning authorities in Isfahan’s Dastgerd Prison executed three inmates by the names of Saeed Yaghoubi, Saleh Mir-Hashemi, and Majid Kazemi, according to state media.
Iran’s Regime Hangs Three Protesters Amid Surge in Executions
The regime ruling Iran executed three inmates in Isfahan today for their involvement in the Iranian Revolution protests in this city back in November of last year. The three victims, Saleh Mirhashemi, Saeed Yaghoubi, and Majid Kazemi were severely tortured into coerced confessions during kangaroo trials. This follows a continuing trend of executions during an ongoing surge launched by the ruling dictatorship in Iran in an attempt to quell the continuous and escalating anti-regime protests.
The three prisoners were hanged despite a wave of protests inside Iran and international calls for the regime to stop the executions. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said, “Not a day goes by without the bloodthirsty Khamenei shedding the blood of our young people to cling to his abhorrent reign and stave off its inevitable collapse.
Human Rights Lawyers Sentenced, Summoned in Iran: Concerns Over Legal Proceedings
The clerical regime’s Judiciary has summoned and sentenced a number of human rights lawyers, including three women, in recent days. Marzieh Nikara, prominent human rights lawyer and activist, has been sentenced to one year of imprisonment by Branch 29 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. The court session on Sunday, May 14, 2023, concluded with her being sentenced to one year of imprisonment on charges of “anti-regime propaganda activities” and “dissemination of falsehoods.” Another human rights lawyer, Mohammad Seifzadeh, was also sentenced to one year on similar charges. This case originated from a letter drafted by a group of human rights defenders and legal experts to the UN Secretary-General, addressing the suppression and intimidation of citizens during the nationwide protests in 2022-2023.
Iran’s Regime Ratchets Up Security Measures To Suppress Protests
The Iranian regime is facing a multitude of crises, including economic, environmental, and social issues that threaten its existence. Nevertheless, the most formidable obstacle for the regime stems from the persistent and unwavering determination of the Iranian people to achieve a free and democratic society, particularly following the 2017 protests. The continuing protests have fostered a culture of resistance and a rejection of the regime’s oppressive tactics, which represent a significant outcome. Consequently, the regime has resorted to repressive measures to combat this growing sentiment, including:
- The swift travel of the regime’s judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i to Iran’s Kurdistan region.
- Increasing security forces in various cities and conducting indiscriminate arrests.
- In a speech, the regime’s interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, threatened rebellious youths and warned them of harsh repression.
London, Cologne, and Berlin—May 17, 2023: MEK Supporters Rallied to Support the Iran Revolution
London, Cologne, and Berlin—May 17, 2023: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and freedom-loving Iranians gathered to show their solidarity with the ongoing Iranian Revolution.
Supporters of the Iranian Resistance strongly condemned the recent executions by the religious dictatorship regime of the mullahs in Iran, especially the execution of Baloch compatriots. They called for urgent action by the international community to stop the executions in Iran.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – May 19, 2023
