Eye on Iran's Protests - December 13, 2022

At least 473 people have been killed, and over 18,200 arrested, since the Mahsa Amini protests began in mid-September. Yesterday, Iran executed a second prisoner convicted of crimes linked to the protest movement. Known for sham trials in which the accused are stripped of a proper defense, the Iranian court system has become a lynching committee. Iranian protesters are responding to this repressive law enforcement process with outrage. The Islamic Republic of Iran is inadvertently galvanizing the movement as it subjects more of its people to unfair trials and extreme forms of punishment.

Iran publicly hanged Majidreza Rahnavard, a 23-year-old, in what is the second execution linked to the recent anti-government protests.

Revolutionary Groups In Iran Publish Manifesto For Future | Iran International 

A coalition of 30 youth groups opposed to the Islamic Republic published a manifesto which they said was intended “to pave the grounds for dialogue and cooperation” among various trade organizations, unions, political groups, and activists inside Iran and abroad. 

The Question Is No Longer Whether Iranians Will Topple The Ayatollah | New York Times

The faces of the movement unfolding in Iran are “not ideologues or intellectuals but athletes, musicians, and ordinary people, especially women and ethnic minorities” who are pursuing their freedoms to “drink, eat, read, love, watch, listen, and, above all, say what they want.” When faced with demands for change in the past, Supreme Leader Khamenei always doubled down on repression. Western intelligence agencies have in recent days said that the regime is stable. However, history teaches that “authoritarian collapse often goes from inconceivable to inevitable in days,” Karim Sadjadpour wrote in this New York Times op-ed.  

Why Iran’s Protests Could Topple The Regime | Wall Street Journal 

“The Central Intelligence Agency’s view that the current wave of unrest in Iran poses no threat to the regime… colored by the disappointing results of the Arab Spring and of Western military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq—is too pessimistic. The Islamic Republic’s rulers are uncertain, fearful and increasingly incoherent in their public statements. They surely know that these demonstrations aim to foment revolution, not reform. And they have reason to worry that the demonstrators will be successful,” Reuel Gerecht and UANI board member Ray Takeyh wrote in the Wall Street Journal.

A Revolutionary Court in Alborz province sentenced Mohammad Mehdi Karami to death for “corruption on earth” in a sham group trial.

Iran Turns To Public Executions, Enraging An Already Protesting Public | New York Times 

The two men executed for alleged crimes linked to the protest movement were tried behind closed doors. Government-assigned lawyers provided a weak defense, and the prosecutors made use of confessions that were forced from the defendants when they were in custody. Demonstrators have begun chanting: “with each person killed, a thousand will rise up.” Amnesty International reported that at least 11 other protesters have been sentenced to death. 

Iran: Council Approves Conclusions | Council Of The E.U. 

The E.U. released the following statement yesterday to accompany another round of sanctions: “The European Union expresses its support for the fundamental aspiration of the people of Iran for a future where their universal human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected, protected and fulfilled.” The statement falls short of endorsing the popular demand for a new, free, democratic political system. While the sanctions against Iranian propaganda officials, such as the Director of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Peyman Jebelli, law enforcement officials, and military officials is a welcome step, governments worldwide can do more. They must communicate support for the movement’s true aspiration, and sanction those who are responsible for the killing, including President Raisi and Supreme Leader Khamanei.

Large crowds filled a street in Iran in the aftermath of the execution of two protesters.

Soccer Players Union “Sickened” As Iran’s Amir Nasr-Azadani Faces Possible Death Sentence Over Protests | Agence France-Presse

Professional soccer play Amir Nasr-Azadani is reportedly at risk of being sentenced to death after allegedly taking part in an “armed riot.” The world union of professional soccer players FIFPRO said it was “shocked and sickened.”

Some Iranian Insiders Voice Serious Criticism Amid Crisis | Iran International 

A Tehran Friday prayer leader strayed from his usual rehearsal of regime propaganda, saying that systematic financial corruption has become characteristic of Iran’s government and its officials.

Students at Islamic Azad University gathered to protest the executions.