Kurdish protester Reza Rasayi was secretly executed in Kermanshah Central Prison, Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) reported on Tuesday. Human rights organisations have condemned the execution as an extrajudicial murder carried out on the basis of forced confessions obtained under torture.
Reza Rasayi, a 36-year-old Kurdish protester of the Yarsani faith, was arrested on 24 November 2021. He was charged with the murder of Nader Beirami, a member of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC, Iran’s security force) during a protest linked to the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement. Despite his repeated denials and claims of torture, Rasayi was sentenced to death by the Kermanshah province Criminal Court.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, Director of Iran Human Rights, stated, “Reza Rasayi’s death sentence was issued and implemented based on his torture-tainted confessions and with the aim of intimidating the public. Ali Khamenei and the officials of the Islamic Republic’s corrupt Judiciary must be held accountable for this extrajudicial murder.”
According to sources, Rasayi’s family was informed of his execution only after it had been carried out. Authorities have prohibited them from burying him in his hometown of Sahneh, instead instructing them to bury him far away, a tactic frequently employed by the regime.
Reza’s mother, Azardokht Haghjoian, had previously pleaded for help to save her son from execution. Her calls for assistance highlighted the desperation of families facing the harsh realities of Iran’s judicial system.
Rasayi was ordered to the execution chamber by Mohammad Rasoul Haq Nejati, the head of the Second Branch of Kermanshah Criminal Court.
The execution underscores the ongoing repression against Kurdish minorities in Iran. Amnesty International has highlighted the systematic use of the death penalty against protesters and minorities, particularly in the aftermath of the 2022 protests sparked by the death of Jina Mahsa Amini. These protests, known for their slogan ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’, have faced severe crackdowns, with many participants subjected to arbitrary detention, torture, and execution.
Iran Human Rights has called on the international community to take action against the Islamic Republic’s execution practices. “While the world is distracted with the possibility of war between Iran and Israel, the Islamic Republic is busy eliminating and executing people in Iran, the primary threats to its existence,” Amiry-Moghaddam added.
The broader context of Rasayi’s execution is part of a larger pattern of human rights violations in Iran, particularly against Kurds and other minorities. Reports of forced confessions, torture and unfair trials have been widespread, raising serious concerns about the judicial process and the use of the death penalty in the country.
