Copy Editor Kyle Reims reports how the #donotexecute social media campaign could change the Iranian Supreme Court decision to execute three Iranian men.
By Kyle Reims
Three Iranian men were arrested after protesting against increased gas prices
Following a massive social media campaign, the Iranian Supreme Court has announced that it may reconsider the decision to sentence three men to death for “participation in vandalism and arson with the intent to confront and engage in war with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The men, Amirhossein Moradi, 25, Saeed Tamjidi, 27 and Mohammad Rajabi, 27, were arrested in November as part of the nationwide arrest over an increase in gas prices. According to rights groups at the protests, the men were among over 7000 arrested, and at least 500 protesters were killed by security forces.
Iranian Supreme Court charges the protestors capital punishment
The men were severely beaten during the arrest, and Moradi was hospitalized due to the treatment combined with a pre-existing auto-immune disease.
According to a Human Rights Watch source at the trial, which took place in January, the defendants stated they were tortured and forced to confess under coercion, but the judge did not take these statements into account. The lawyers and families of the men also said their request to read the indictment or charges was denied.
On Tuesday, July 14, the Supreme Court denied an appeal and upheld the capital punishment sentences. The men’s lawyers also published an open letter, reiterating that their clients had been forced to confess under “aberrant conditions.”
#donotexecute trends on Twitter
Following the confirmation, many Iranians took to social media to protest the sentence. Both the Farsi and English translations of #donotexecute were trending on Twitter worldwide. Prominent Iranian celebrities, such as soccer player Hossein Mahini and two time Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi, also joined in. Even a former Iranian vice president voiced his opposition to the ruling.
By the middle of Tuesday, the Farsi translation, اعدام_نکنید#, had been tweeted nearly 4.5 million times, and 7.5 million times by Thursday. It escalated the point that the internet started to go down, as the Iranian government commonly disrupts the internet when there are significant demonstrations or protests.
Finally, on Thursday, the BBC reported that the Judiciary would consider the men’s requests on their sentencing. The lawyers were also allowed to view the indictment, court papers and evidence for the first time. Although there is still much left to come in this story, the openness to reconsider is a step in the right direction.