Mothers plead for sons’ lives facing death sentences in Iran

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Mothers of protesters sentenced to death in connection to the nationwide demonstrations in Iran are pleading for their sons’ lives to be saved, as a human rights watchdog claims at least 20 people are at risk of execution in the country.

Iran carried out the second known execution linked to the protests on Monday. Majidreza Rahnavard, 23, was publicly hanged from a construction crane, serving as a gruesome example to other protesters.

Amnesty International on Monday identified 20 people who stand the risk of being executed, 11 of which have been handed death sentences by Iranian courts, in connection to the protests.

Hamid Ghare Hasanlou, a radiologist, and his wife Farzana were arrested by Iranian security forces during the protests marking the 40th day since the killing of protester Hadis Najafi. Accused of being involved in the killing of a member of Iran's Basij paramilitary force, Ghare Hasanlou is one of the 11 names identified by Amnesty.

"They have done nothing wrong and have not hurt anyone. I plead with you to free them," Ghare Hasanlou’s mother said in a video message on Tuesday.

Saman "Yasin" Seydi, a young Kurdish rapper and protester, was reportedly moved from Evin Prison in Tehran to Raja’i Shahr prison in Karaj on Monday, raising concerns that the move was made in preparation for his execution.

"My son is an artist, he is not a rioter… I am a heartbroken mother. For the love of God save my son," Seydi’s mother said in a video message last week.

Seydi was arrested on October 2 and sentenced to death a few weeks later, according to Amnesty who claims that the rapper was subjected to "to torture and other ill-treatment to extract forced 'confessions' including through severe beatings and forced exposure to extreme cold."

In an interview with the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) on Tuesday, Mohammad Ismail Begi, Seydi’s lawyer, claimed that his client "has not even scratched a human being," saying that the film that was used to indict him was “blurred and ambiguous.”

Rudaw understands that at least six protesters from Oshnavieh have been arrested in the demonstrations and sentenced to death by the city’s revolutionary court.

Last week, Mohsen Shekari was hanged in the first execution over the protests that have swept through the country since the death of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini in September. 

At least 490 protesters have been killed and over 18,200 arrested since the protests began almost three months ago, according to US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).