Published: Less than 20 min ago
At least 43 people are at risk of being executed shortly, as a result of the protests in Iran.
Now their families fear that the regime will take care while the Western world is busy celebrating Christmas.
“I’m really afraid they’re going to execute Majid,” a source told CNN.
When Mahsa Jina Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman, died after being arrested by the morality police in Tehran, a wave of demonstrations was triggered across Iran.
The regime responded with violence. Many were killed, others were imprisoned and several of the protesters are today charged with crimes punishable by death.
43 of them face execution shortly, according to documents and videos that CNN took part in.
Their relatives are now worried that the Iranian regime will take the opportunity to carry out a series of executions over the weekend, while the West is distracted by Christmas celebrations.
Recently, an Iranian member of parliament reportedly said that those involved in the unrest must be executed within five to ten days of their arrest.
Confessions after torture
So far, at least two people have been executed in connection with the protests. Mohsen Shekari and Majidreza Rahnavard both are said to have been hanged earlier in December.
The Iranian regime has been accused of using torture and sexual abuse to extract confessions from those facing charges. These confessions have since been used in mock trials.
One of those at risk of execution is Majid Kazemi. He is accused of being involved in the killing of three security guards in the city of Isfahan.
According to a source for CNN, he was forced to confess to crimes during interrogation, after being severely beaten.
His trial is scheduled for the weekend.
“It will coincide with the international observance of these holy days, and the Islamic Republican regime will take advantage of the fact that they no longer have the eyes of the world on them,” the source said, continuing:
“I am really afraid that they will execute Majid.”