A plain area of the ancient Iranian city of Isfahan is Shahid Alikhani Square. Its sole point of distinction is the opulent entrance to a significant metro station.

However, now that an execution platform has been set up in the plaza, fans of prominent Iranian footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani visit there out of fear that the young guy would be put to death there, a witness close to Nasr-Azadani told CNN.

The recent protests that have swept the nation in response to Mahsa Amini’s death in September, a young woman detained by Iran’s notorious morality police for allegedly improperly wearing her hijab, have terrified Iranian families who fear that a wave of executions is imminent while the West is preoccupied with Christmas celebrations.

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In partnership with the activist group 1500Tasvir, CNN has confirmed papers, video, eyewitness accounts, and claims made by people inside the nation that at least 43 people, including Nasr-Azadani, may be about to be executed.

In connection with protests in Iran last month, authorities have already executed at least two individuals, one of whom was publicly hung.

According to witness accounts and government records examined by CNN and 1500Tasvir, Iran’s judiciary system frequently issues death sentences in a single sitting for accusations that warrant the death penalty.

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Nasr-Azadani is accused of taking part in the killing of three security officers, including two volunteer Basij militia members, during protests in Isfahan on November 16, according to Iranian state media IRNA. CNN has heard testimonies from women who claim they were victims of sexual violence by the Iranian regime.

According to state media, Nasr-Azadani has been charged with Baghi, or rioting against officials, according to the city’s chief justice, Asadullah Jafari. The sentence carries the death penalty in accordance with Iranian law.

Since that time, a witness to his arrest claimed they had given up hope that Nasr-Azadani would be set free but continued to check Shahid Alikhani Square every day in case law enforcement showed up with the football player and put him to death on a scaffold. The witness tells CNN that “authorities informed us he would be released by the end of the week from the day he was arrested.”

Then the flow of information stopped. Weeks later, a witness who knows Nasr-Azadani well claims to have heard from the authorities that the 26-year-old may be hanged in Shahid Alikhani Square.

We find it quite difficult to consider that they could carry out his execution at any time. and the worrying daily news that we keep hearing.

According to the witness who spoke to CNN, Nasr-family Azadani’s was initially uninformed of the circumstances surrounding his imprisonment and authorities withheld information regarding his health. According to the witness, those close to him were also advised to “keep quiet” about his case if they wanted to see him released sooner.

According to official media IRNA, the court last week stated that it had “video and substantial material that proves he [Nasr-Azadani] is member of an armed group” and that the football player had admitted to his crimes.

I’m terrified that Majid will be put to death.
Previous CNN investigations have revealed that detainees have experienced sexual assault and torture. Human rights organizations claim that “confessions” obtained through torture have been used against the accused in fake tribunals.

However, the trials have received support from Iranian officials. One Iranian MP recently stated that he thought people responsible for the current turmoil should be executed between five and ten days following their detention. CNN’s request for reaction from Iranian authorities elicited no official response.

According to the document that CNN and 1500Tasvir were able to collect, Majid Kazemi was one of the other suspects charged with taking part in the shooting deaths of three security personnel in Isfahan. Kazemi claimed to have been forced into confessing to his involvement in criminal activity while being questioned.

Following the passing of Mahsa Amini in September, protests have descended upon the nation.
Following the passing of Mahsa Amini in September, protests have descended upon the nation.
India Wire
According to a source close to Kazemi, “He did not confess to having done any of the crimes he was charged with, and so they beat him up badly.”

Majid’s arm, leg, and nose were broken, according to a former prisoner who was just released from the institution where he is being held.

According to the source, Majid’s court date is scheduled to fall during the holiday season.

The Islamic Republic dictatorship will benefit from being hidden from the world’s vigilant eyes because this will occur while the international community is observing these holy days.

“I truly worry that Majid will be put to death.”

Sahand Noor Mahammadzade, a prisoner in Tehran, describes how he was forced into making a confession in a recording from the prison.

Before it was removed, a screenshot of Nika Shakharami’s Instagram account was available. To protect their privacy, CNN has hidden the user names and profile images of commentators.
The Iranian government has access to detainees’ social media accounts. Tech corporations don’t seem to have the tools to stop it.
“The judge who was present instructed me to state that I do not object and provided me with three pages, all of which I signed without being given the opportunity to even read them.

“My accusations had completely altered by the time they brought me in for questioning the second time. The word “moharabe” was used in that second complaint against me.

“They instructed me to enter the prosecutor’s office, and when I did, he remarked, “It is clear from his face. Put this one to use!

At least 10 people in Isfahan have also been charged with Moharabe (a war against God), spreading corruption on Earth, and other charges, all of which carry the death penalty, according to a hastily photographed document from inside the Isfahan regional court that was obtained and verified by 1500Tasvir and CNN.

The charge, which was instituted following the 1979 revolution, is frequently levied against individuals who are accused of acting against the government.

Other witness accounts and official documentation submitted by families that have been jointly verified by CNN and 1500Tasvir paint a picture of how the Iranian dictatorship is hurriedly moving through the legal system.

Only court-appointed attorneys are permitted to represent defendants who are also denied the ability to appeal, according to families and campaigners.

Mohammad Mehdi Karami, an Iranian-Kurdish karate champion, is about to be executed. His parents publicly begged for the order to be overturned.
Mohammad Mehdi Karami, an Iranian-Kurdish karate champion, is about to be executed. His parents publicly begged for the order to be overturned.
1500Tasvir
The Iranian penal code also says that, if found guilty, the defendant could be given the death penalty in a single sitting. However, most death judgments are not carried out immediately and are instead appealed.

One of the Iranians to receive such a punishment is Soheil Jahangiri. His family members told CNN that they haven’t heard from him in more than a month. They claim that officials forbade Jahangiri from hiring a private lawyer.

Officials from the judiciary have made reference to the charges of Baghi and Moharabe. According to a family member, Soheil might be sentenced to death for either of these offenses.

“I believe that Soheil’s life, as well as the lives of many other political prisoners, are in danger. We are quite afraid that executions will resume with the start of the Christmas holidays and a lessening in political pressure on the government.

They said, “We don’t want to see the media remain silent while our kids are killed.”

Sad conclusion
CNN has confirmed that scores more, some of them teenagers, are facing the possibility of execution on similar charges in relation to the protests.

Through court records, CNN and 1500Tasvir have confirmed that 23 persons have been charged with offenses carrying the death penalty in the provincial court of Khuzestan, west of Isfahan.

CNN and 1500Tasvir have established that five additional Iranians are on death row in Karaj, close to Tehran. One of them is Mohammad Mehdi Karami, an Iranian-Kurdish karate champion who is 21 years old, whose parents have also made their request public.

In a video posted to social media, the father of the subject pleads with the viewer to “please, I beg of you, lift the execution order from my son’s file.”

An image obtained by AFP from outside Iran depicts an Iranian police officer (C) using a baton to scatter protesters on September 19, 2022, in Tehran, during a vigil for Mahsa Amini, a woman who passed away after being detained by the Islamic Republic’s “morality police.” – On September 19, new demonstrations erupted in Iran over the passing of a young woman who had been detained by the “morality police,” who strictly enforce a dress code. Authorities’ announcement on Friday that Mahsa Amini, 22, had passed away in a hospital after three days in a coma as a result of her arrest by Tehran’s morality police on September 13 during a trip to the capital has increased public ire. (Image via AFP) (Image courtesy of AFP/Getty Images)
Iranian officials have a playbook for putting down dissent and are once again following it, including stalking, torturing, and disappearing people.
According to family texts provided to CNN, Karami was tortured in prison in addition to receiving a death sentence.

They said that despite his alleged mistreatment, Karami was in good spirits but “physically injured” as a result of the abuse he had endured in another message provided to CNN.

The time spent in custody while awaiting execution can be excruciating. Saman Yasin, a 27-year-old rapper who is Kurdish and Iranian, recently attempted suicide while being held captive.

Yasin rapped against injustice and oppression in Iran in his most recent music video, rapping, “They closed my neck forcefully. Beauty was outlawed. I was turned around like an animal. I’m not content with silence.

After weeks of enduring the tough jail circumstances in northern Iran, Yasin attempted suicide just two days ago, according to sources within the facility who spoke to CNN.

The mother of Farzad and Farhad Tahazade appeals for help in rescuing her boys.
The mother of Farzad and Farhad Tahazade appeals for help in rescuing her boys.
1500Tasvir
At least 43 prisoners are set to be executed, according to CNN. The identities of individuals accused are mentioned in statements made by Iranian officials as well as in Iranian media that CNN and 1500Tasvir have investigated, and they indicate that the actual number may reach as high as 100. However, many of the families were too afraid to contact us in order to verify the names reported in the media.

For many Iranians, their pleading cries continue as the year comes to a terrible close.

The mother of 23- and 24-year-old brothers Farzad and Farhad Tahazade gave the following message to the world in a video that was made public and shared with CNN:

“Hear my sons’ calls for assistance, please. My sons are still young, and when they grow up, their offspring will follow. kindly keep them. Save my sons for the love of God.

A mom in Iran puts herself in grave risk when she publicly criticizes the government on behalf of her kids. Except many parents believe they have no choice but to take the risk.