Und wieder einmal zeigt der Iran seine hässlichste Seite indem der gleich 30 Menschen hängen lässt. Die Opposition erklärt, dass mindestens drei der Hingerichteten politische Aktivisten waren, was die Regierung natürlich dementiert und behauptet man würde lediglich gegen gefährliche Kriminelle vorgehen.

Iran has hanged up to 30 people in the past month amid a clampdown prompted by alleged United States-backed plots to topple the regime, the British Observer newspaper has revealed.

Many executions have been carried out in public in an apparent bid to create a climate of intimidation while sending out uncompromising signals to the West. Opposition sources say at least three of the dead were political activists, contradicting government insistence that it is targeting “thugs” and dangerous criminals.

The executions have coincided with a crackdown on student activists and academics accused of trying to foment a “soft revolution’ with US support.

The most high-profile recent executions involved Majid Kavousifar (28) and his nephew, Hossein Kavousifar (24), hanged for the murder of a hard-line judge, Hassan Moghaddas, a man notorious for jailing political dissidents. They were hanged from cranes and hoisted high above one of Tehran’s busiest thoroughfares. ¹

Es waren die ersten öffentlichen Hinrichtungen im Iran seit fünf Jahren. Was nicht bedeutet es gab in dieser Zeit keine. Am Tag zuvor wurden auch sieben Menschen exekutiert und zwei weitere wurden gehängt. Beide Exekutionen wurden zudem live im stattlichen Fernsehen gezeigt.

The previous day, seven men were publicly executed in the north-eastern city of Masshad, including five said to be guilty of “rape, kidnapping, theft and committing indecent acts”. Another two were hanged separately for raping and robbing a young woman. The executions were also shown live on state television. ¹

1. s. Mail&Guardian online - Iran hangs 30 over ‘US plots’ [←] [←]