Gholamreza Rasaei was executed this Wednesday, August 7, by the Iranian regime for his participation in the autumn 2022 protests following Mahsa Amini’s death.
Sentenced to Death for Protesting
The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs condemned this Wednesday, August 7, the execution of Gholamreza Rasaei in Iran. This man was sentenced to death for his participation in the autumn 2022 protests following the death of Mahsa Amini.
“France condemns with the greatest firmness the execution today of Gholamreza Rasaei, sentenced to death following his participation in the autumn 2022 protests after Mahsa Amini’s death in Iran,” the Quai d’Orsay wrote in a statement.
They added: “France reiterates its constant opposition to the death penalty, in all places and under all circumstances, and its commitment to the universal abolition of this unjust and inhuman punishment.”
“Corruption on Earth”
Aged 22, Mahsa Amini died in September 2022 after being arrested by Tehran’s morality police for allegedly violating the strict dress code that mandates women to wear a veil in the Islamic Republic.
Her death triggered a massive protest movement against Iran’s political and religious leaders. The protests following her death challenged the Islamic system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution.
In June, the Iranian Supreme Court overturned the death sentence of famous rapper Toomaj Salehi, who had been imprisoned for over a year and a half for supporting the 2022 protest movement. The 33-year-old singer had been sentenced to death in April 2024 for “corruption on Earth,” one of the most severe charges in Iran.
Toomaj Salehi had supported the protest movement triggered by Mahsa Amini’s death through his songs and on social media. Mahsa Amini’s lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, was sentenced last October to one year in prison for “propaganda” against the state.
