Australian lawmakers condemn execution of Iranian dissident

Two members of the Australian House of Representatives have strongly condemned the execution of Reza Rasaei, an Iranian dissident prisoner put to death on Tuesday.

Keith Wolahan and Aaron Violi, who have been political sponsors for 34-year-old Rasaei, emphasized the need for ongoing political efforts to ensure freedom for the Iranian people and to prevent further political executions.

"We need to continue this political fight to ensure that the Iranian people have the freedom they deserve and that political executions no longer occur under the Islamic Republic regime," Violi stated in a message to Iran International.

Wolahan condemned Rasaei's execution as "cruel and cowardly," emphasizing that the IRGC is aware the Woman Life Freedom movement is far from over, “or else they wouldn’t be using this form of execution as a weapon of fear against people.”

"We want the IRGC to know that we are not looking the other way; we have not forgotten," Wolahan added.

Rasaei was arrested during the 2022 anti-government protests in Kermanshah, a western province of Iran, and sentenced to death by a Revolutionary Court on charges allegedly connected to the death of an IRGC intelligence officer during the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising from September to December 2022.

The "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement has been a significant force in Iran and among the Iranian diaspora, advocating for women's rights and broader political freedoms. Violi reiterated the movement's enduring relevance, stating, "Woman, Life, Freedom is a movement that continues; it’s about the freedom of the Iranian people here in Australia and Iran."

Violi further called upon the Australian government, parliament, and fellow politicians to "stand with the Iranian people." He urged them to support the struggle for human rights and to take a firm stance against the oppressive actions of the Iranian regime.

The execution of Reza Rasaei has sparked international outrage.

US Acting Special Envoy for Iran Abram Paley also strongly condemned Iran's execution of Rasaei and "its attempt to distract the world from its continued human rights abuses."

Rights groups, including Amnesty International, also condemned Rasaei’s, highlighting that it occurred while media attention was elsewhere.

“While global and domestic media attention have been focused on regional tensions with Israel, the Iranian authorities have carried out the abhorrent arbitrary execution in secret of a young man who was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment in detention, including sexual violence, and then sentenced to death after a sham trial,” Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa said in a statement.

“This execution lays bare once again how Iran’s criminal justice system is rotten to the core and highlights the Iranian authorities resolve to use the death penalty as a tool of political repression to instill fear among the population. It also dispels any illusions of human rights progress with a new president assuming power last week,” Eltahawy added.

Despite global condemnation, only a day after Rasaei’s execution on Tuesday, 36 people were executed in Iran on Wednesday. Iran is one of the world’s leading executioners accounting for 74% of all recorded executions in 2023.