Iran executes first
known prisoner
arrested in protests
By: Jennah Etyem (SS10)
Background Information/History
On December 1, 2022 a young 23 year old man by the name Mohsen Shekari was
hung after he was found guilty for being one of many “rioters” who were blocking
the roads, and for “attacking” a member of the parliamentary force (Basij militia)
with an unidentified “weapon”. He was also convicted of "waging war against God.”
Mohsen was protesting for a change in Iranian laws and for Iran to become
democratic—he wanted mandatory laws such as hijab for women removed in the
name of God and freedom.
Some think he “attacked” the officer with a machete while others believe it was a
rusty knife. After investigating it, officers decided it was best to leave said object
unidentified
Mohsen was arrested on September 25, 2022 and was tried on November 20, 2022.
He spent more than 75 days in a makeshift prison.
As some of the activists who have taken on this case like to say, it was a "show trial
without any due process". Approximately 475 people have died due to this
particular protest in Iran.
Map/Location
This tragedy happened in Tehran the capital of Iran.
NOTE: the Arabic word for Mohsens “crime” is
"moharebeh" which in English means “waging war
against God”
Perspectives
Iranian Government - The Iranian government believes that what
they did was just and equitable because Mohsen had broken the
law and “knew” the consequences of his actions. The Iranian
government thinks that things are going to change and that they
are going to be able to regain control of their people because “fear
is the ultimate form of control.”
Mohsen’s family - Mohsen’s family is devastated and feel betrayed
by the government. While they know how violent the country in
which they live is, they did not expect Mohsen to be hung, or more
than that, made an example of. Given that this was Mohsen’s first
offence and that there is no identified weapon on his person they
feel that this punishment was not suited to the “crime”. They feel
that there is an unidentified motive behind the government's
choice of punishment—-They think that giving Mohsen a fake trial
was meant to offer a sense of closure and that his punishment was
predetermined.
International governments - Believe that the death penalty
should be banned in Iran. International governments such as
Canada are placing sanctions on Iran—there outdated
policies violate basic human rights and are unethical as well
as unequitable. They believe that they can force Iran to
change by refusing to economically involve themselves—If
Iran runs out of resources they will have to change in order to
save their economy from failing. International governments
are disappointed in Iran and believe that they can change.
The Muslim Population - We are not surprised by Mohsen’s
death as we, as a population, are murdered daily, however we
are dishearted by the loss of another talented young
adolescent. Mohsen had a bright future and us Muslims are
very sure there was an underlying motive for his death. We
will continue to avenge him through social media posts and
dedicated songs and art pieces. We believe that the more
people who see his case, the more likely change will come
about.
My Opinion
The following link is to a
Twitter post showing
Mohsen Shekari’s
mothers reaction to him
being hung:
https://twitter.com/has
htag/mohsen_shekari
Personally, I believe that the execution of Mohsen was unjust and was
inequitable given his valid concerns and the amount of unclarity in his case.
Being muslim myself, Mohsens concerns were reasonable: hijab for women is
supposed to be a choice and this choice must be made by the women
herself—having the laws that Iran does, women wear hijab or they get
murdered. Mohsen was speaking up for those unable to stand-up for
themselves. This was Mohsen’s first offence and given the extent of his
punishment and the loss of his life, especially being as young as he was, shows
how messed up and out of date Iran is compared to the rest of the world. I
believe that Iran is going to be forced to change their laws and policies
especially due to the sanctions being placed on them. Another thing to add is
that after further investigation, on December 16, 2022 it was disclosed that
there was no weapon on Mohsen’s person! I think that the Iranian government
is losing control of their people and so they took the first chance they got to
make an example of someone—I think they believe that the citizens of Iran will
follow their policies for fear of being publicly hung like Mohsen.
How this relates to Globalization
Social Globalization: This relates to social globalization because Mohsen
was a rapper and some of his songs talked about the hardships he and other
people living in Iran faced on a day to day basis. Through the media, art
pieces and social media posts are being made to bring justice to Mohsen’s
name. Finally, we learned about this story through the media (CTV news).
Political Globalization: This relates to political globalization because Iran is
being faced with sanctions and backlash due to their unethical laws and
policies. With that said, some international partners are pulling back their
agreements until Iran changes their current policies to be more fair and just
for those living there. Many countries, Canada included, are going to hold
Iran accountable to international law.
Economic Globalization: As mentioned in political globalization, this
relates to economic globalization because with international partners
pulling back and placing sanctions, Iran’s economy will suffer because
Canada and a couple other major countries import them goods such as
different fruits/vegetables, gas, etc..With a shortage of materials and
resources the prices for what is left will increase, leading to inflation.
Open Ended Questions
1.
Do you feel that Mohsen’s punishment was fair and equitable given the unclarity
of the situation? Why or why not?
2.
Where do you think Iran will be in the next year? Do you think things are going to
change? How?
3.
Do you think that the Iranian government making an example of Mohsen was ethical?
What kind of {other} consequences do you think the government will face in the near
future?
Artwork that has been dedicated to Mohsen
The image to the left
shows Mohsen holding an
unidentified weapon and
the writing in Arabic says
“Because I am unafraid of
the truth, I am a weapon in
myself.”
The cartoon to the left is
also in Arabic and it says
how through social
media Mohsen will go to
Heaven because he will
be avenged even after
death.
Bibliography/Sources
1.
#mohsen_shekari - Twitter Search / Twitter
2.
Iran's first executed protester ID'd as Mohsen Shekari | CTV News
3.
BBC Mohsen Shekari