More than 200 Iranian civil activists, writers, and family members of victims of the Islamic republic have signed a statement inviting activists and unions in Iran to launch a campaign to stop executions there amid threats from lawmakers that harsher punishments are needed for protesters during the current wave of unrest.
The 235 signatories of the letter said they were prompted by the recent executions of two protestors as the authorities ratchet up their brutal crackdown on dissent, which was set off in mid-September by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody.
The letter says the execution of Mohsen Shekari and Majidreza Rahnavard is one of the tactics being used by the government to silence people who are fed up with the repressive government of the Islamic republic, "people who come to the streets every day with empty hands and become more united against the oppression of the regime."
"These executions, which are often carried out following unfair trials and in violation of the most basic human rights, are examples of clear discrimination against the most helpless, deprived, and vulnerable people, including immigrants, religious minorities, people with a low socioeconomic base, women, and gender minorities," the letter says.
Rahnavard was hanged in a public execution on December 12 -- just 23 days after he was arrested -- following his conviction for killing two members of the security forces. The group Iran Human Rights said Rahnavard's sentencing was based on "coerced confessions, after a grossly unfair process and a sham trial."
Shekari was executed publicly on December 8 after an appeal of his sentence was rejected by the Supreme Court. He was accused of injuring a security officer.
Farhad and Farzad Tahazadeh, two brothers from the northwestern city of Oshnavieh, are among several protesters who rights groups say are in imminent danger of execution.
Reports also indicate that soccer player Amir Nasr-Azadani faces accusations of "waging war against God" and "corruption on Earth," which are punishable by death and often leveled in cases allegedly involving espionage or attempts to overthrow the government.
Since Amini's death, Iranians have flooded streets across the country in protest, with women and even schoolgirls making unprecedented shows of support in the biggest threat to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution.
The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights Organization says the number of executions in Iran exceeds 500 this year.