As with every month, Iran Human Rights Monitor compiled a report on human rights abuses in Iran in October and we have summarised it but the full report can be accessed here.
During the past month, the State Security Forces became increasingly violent against Iranians, even torturing them in broad daylight, as happened in these cases:
- Mehrdad Sepehri, who was tied to a pole in Mashhad and tortured with stun guns and pepper spray until he suffocated
- Mohsen Minbashi, who was shot and then beaten in Esfarayen
- An unidentified woman in Abadan, who was already bloody by the time the video clip began and is seen on the ground while Jahan-Nejadian, a high-ranking manager of Abadan Oil Refinery and an operative of the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), puts his foot on her chest
Of course, the government has shown no remorse for this. Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi told the SSF earlier this month not to show “weakness” against those who threaten the country’s security, by which he means political prisoners, who are charged with national security crimes. While Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei praised the SFF giving them a green light for violence against Iranians.
The country is in a volatile state right now, on the eve of the anniversary of the November 2019 protests, so the authorities seek to suppress any sort of dissent, which included the arrest of at least 2,140 people last month.
A Quick Breakdown of the Ayatollahs’ Other Human Rights Abuses in October
Executions
The Iranian authorities executed at least 19 people in October, including:
- Shahrouz Kazemi, 28, who had committed an armed robbery but not killed anyone
- Razieh, 37, who was described as “desperate”, and murdered because of poverty
It should be noted that fair trials are not really a thing in Iran and many are tortured into making false confessions, without access to a defense lawyer.
Arbitrary Murders
The SSF’s violence led to at least ten deaths last month, including 17-year-old porter Ashkan Azizi, as well as those mentioned above.
Torture
Torture is an ongoing facet of the government, with several instances reported in October. This included:
- The sentencing of Arash Ali Akbari to have four fingers on his right hand cut off
- The sentencing of Hadi Rostami (33), Mehdi Sharfian (37), Mehdi Shahivand (42), and Kasra Karami (40), to have their hands amputated
- The flogging of Christian convert Mohammad Reza (Youhan) Omidi for drinking wine during Holy Communion
- The lashing of four young prisoners, two who were identified as Behrouz Momeni and Mohsen Torkashvand
