Iran HRM Monthly Report: Mullahs Continue Human Rights Violations To Quell Society

Written by
Shamsi Saadati
The new monthly report by the Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM) sheds light on how the mullahs’ regime tries to quell the restive Iranian society by increasing oppressive measures. This report also points to the regime’s criminal policy of using Covid-19 and its mass casualties to oppress the Iranian people. This report also refers to the execution of Iran’s national hero, Navid Afkari.

“The regime has been trying over the past months to fend off anti-regime protests by deliberately sending people to their death by the early opening of businesses, and the reopening of schools without providing the necessary hygienic equipment and sanitary facilities. Seemingly, this tactic has not worked out as the regime has failed to contain the volatile society,” read the report.

While referring to the new repressive measures by the regime’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Iran HRM wrote: “In step with the growing social disgruntlement, the Iranian regime officials have resorted to new means of imposing repression. The IRGC put up a show of force by announcing the formation of “hit squads” and “Bassij local patrols” to preserve the ‘security of neighborhoods.’”

“IRGC commanders initially declared that the patrols had been formed to confront ‘mischievousness of American elements and insecurity in cities.’ Later, however, they said the patrols had been formed to confront ‘thugs, thieves, and pick purses.’ This is while according to the law, protecting the security of neighborhoods is the duty of the State Security Force (SSF).”

The nationwide Iran protests rattled the Iranian regime’s foundations. The Iranian youths played a key role during these protests. Now, in a desperate attempt to terrorize the public, the mullahs have increased executions or issuing death sentences for those arrested during the two major uprisings in Iran in 2018 and 2019.

Wrestling champion Navid Afkari was executed on 12, September 2020
“The Iranian regime continued to execute more people in September, seeking to repress and terrorize a volatile society. The Iranian regime executed national wrestling champion Navid Afkari on September 12, 2020, turning a blind eye on all the domestic and international appeals to stop his execution. Immediately after the announcement of the execution of Navid Afkari, the mullahs’ Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi tweeted, claiming responsibility for carrying out the verdict on the personal order of Ali Khamenei [regime’s supreme leader],” read Iran HRM report in this regard.

In addition to executions, the regime has continued torturing dissidents, or humiliating youth in public to terrorize the public. According to the Iran HRM monthly report, September also saw an appalling show of inhuman and humiliating treatment of people by parading them on the streets of Tehran. “On September 1, 2020, the Interior Ministry’s deputy for security and order, Hossein Zolfaqari, announced that the number of general calls for protest in Iran had increased three-fold compared to the previous year.” The report continued: “Four men were ordered to have four fingers on their right hands amputated. The sentences against the four men, Hadi Rostami (33), Mehdi Sharfian (37), Mehdi Shahivand (42) and Kasra Karami (40), have been upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court and referred to the Centre for the Implementation of Sentences. The sentences may be carried out at any moment. The prisoners previously claimed that they were forced to confess under torture, and one of the prisoners, Rostami cut his wrists in June to protest the upholding of his sentence earlier this year.”