Amnesty Urges Action To Halt Imminent Iran Execution

Amnesty International has called for “urgent action” to stop the imminent execution of Reza Rasaei, a detainee linked to last year's nationwide protests in Iran.

In a Thursday statement, the international human rights organization urged individuals to appeal directly to Iran’s Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, urging him to "immediately stop any execution plans for Rasaei and overturn his conviction and death sentence."

The group also pointed out that international fair trial standards should be maintained in his case “without recourse to the death penalty and exclude 'confessions’ obtained under torture."

“I urge you to immediately grant Reza Rasaei access to his family, independently chosen lawyer, and adequate medical care," read part of the Amnesty’s model letter.

According to another report by the Amnesty, Rasaei underwent an "unfair trial" on October 7 in Kermanshah province, during which he was convicted of "murder" and subsequently sentenced to death, with his forced confessions tainted by torture serving as evidence.

Rasaei, hailing from Iran's marginalized Kurdish and Yarsan ethnic and religious minorities, faces accusations of "murder" in connection with the death of Nader Beirami, the head of intelligence in Sanandaj, during a protest in the city on November 17, 2022.

The Yarsan faith, also known as Ahl-e Haqq, is among the oldest Middle Eastern religious traditions, with an estimated three million followers in Iran, primarily in the western Kurdish regions, and an additional 120,000 to 150,000 in Iraq, known as Kaka'i.

Yarsan adherents have encountered various challenges, including difficulties in registering their children as Yarsan at birth, restrictions on constructing places of worship, and the constant fear of persecution for printing their holy book.