The Ominous and Outrageous Execution of Protester Mohsen Shekari and the Grave Danger of More to Come

On December 8, the fascist theocratic rulers of the Islamic Republic of Iran hanged 23-year-old Mohsen Shekari—for protesting! Mohsen is the first protester executed by the regime since the current uprising began 88 days ago.

Mohsen had been working since he’d been in third grade, in a doll shop, then a boutique, and recently in a café. A cellmate said, “Mohsen Shekari loved life—he was waiting for his freedom,” and hoped that his harsh sentence would be reduced.

But the regime cruelly murdered him after convicting him in a sham trial—he had no legal representation—for the catch-all charge of “enmity against God.” He allegedly attacked a member of the regime’s plainclothes militia Basij thugs, who have been at the forefront of brutal assaults on protests. “This was a political murder, not a judicial sentence,” said Hadi Ghaemi of the Center for Human Rights in Iran.¹

Mohsen’s execution came after 11 weeks of a courageous mass uprising that increasingly called for an end to clerical rule, and during a week in which shops, businesses, and traditional bazaars in more than 50 cities took part in a general strike in support of the uprising. It was the largest such strike in decades.

“Usually bustling centers of commerce and malls in small towns and big cities resembled ghost towns. Businesses across the spectrum, from medical practices to butcher shops to supermarkets, closed their doors...,” the New York Times reported.² In response, regime authorities threatened to revoke the licenses and arrest striking business owners.

The state murder of Mohsen Shekari came on the heels of the annual “Student Day,” December 7. This year it honored the Iranian students who have been playing an active and central role in the uprising, defying the regime’s brutality and the arrest of some 620 of their student compatriots. Students at a number of universities issued a “Joint Statement” marking the day—“Our revolution, the revolution for Woman. Life. Freedom,” declaring “…we have stood in the trenches from the very beginning of our struggle to the present day, strong and united with the revolutionaries of the whole country.”

The Communist Party of Iran (MLM) posted that it was

an unforgettable day. Today, students of different universities and in different cities chanted and fought against the Islamic Republic with fortifications and demonstrations in universities … a day full of struggle and revolutionary enthusiasm by the students…. Teachers and students along with students and workers and unemployed and shopkeepers.... In the streets of many cities.³

(See also “Forward to the Revolutionary Student Movement,” Atash/Fire #133, Journal of the Communist Party of Iran, Marxist-Leninist-Maoist)

As of December 10, there have been some 1,173 reported protests in 160 cities and 143 universities across Iran since Mahsa Amini’s murder on September 16.⁴

President Raisi: “The Punishment of Protesters Will Continue”

Regime officials praised Mohsen’s murder and called for more—clearly trying to terrorize and intimidate the Iranian people. President Ebrahim Raisi said, “the trial and punishment of the protesters” would continue, and Ahmad Khatami, a Friday prayer leader, praised “the decisiveness of the judiciary, which sent the first rioter to the gallows.”

Right now this regime of lynchers is reportedly poised to execute another protester, 22-year-old Mahan Sadrat Madani. Amnesty International reports there 11 other protesters under a death sentence, and another six, including courageous rapper Toomaj Salehi, who face charges which could result in a death sentence. According to a leaked recording of a meeting of regime officials, at least 80 detained protesters are in danger of being executed.⁵

Since the uprising began, the Islamic Republic has killed 485 people, including 68 children, and arrested another 18,259.⁶

Mohsen’s Execution Sparks Outcry Across Iran and the World

Mohsen Shekari’s execution has reportedly shaken and outraged people across Iran—and the world. Immediately after his death a “flood of people on foot and in cars” headed toward the town where he lived. The Writers Association of Iran in Exile and a group of brave political prisoners at Evin Prison issued statements denouncing the killing. There have been protests in front of Evin Prison, including by doctors, against their mistreatment and more executions.⁷ Nationwide protests by students and others were continuing as of December 10.⁸ In cities and towns across Iran people continued to take to the streets, chanting “Death to the dictator,” and “For each person you kill, a thousand will rise.”⁹

Intense protests have continued in Sistan and Baluchestan, after the prominent Sunni cleric Molavi Abdolvahed Rigi was kidnapped on December 8 and his body was found the next day.¹⁰

“This is not the time to be silent, our voices need to be louder than ever and wider everywhere, not time to back down, because the Islamic Republic is also testing to see the reaction of the people,” the CPI-MLM posted on Instagram. “If there is retreating and fear, [they] will suppress even more. We must continue to fight consciously but strong and united and loud and wide. Do not leave the Islamic Republic alone and do not give them a break. Protect the lives of prisoners and continue the fight for a real revolution.”¹¹

Urgent Need for Growing International Support

It is extremely urgent to expand and broaden international support for the Iranian people and condemnation of the regime’s wanton violence and murder—especially beyond just the Iranian diaspora.

Recently there have been some important steps on this front. On December 6, a statement in support of the Iranian people was issued for signature by artists and others. It was signed by over 500 people in the first 48 hours, including Roger Waters, Noam Chomsky, Jeff Kaufman and Marcia Ross, Judith Butler, Barbara Kruger, and Willem Dafoe. The statement, International Action Is Urgently Needed to Stop Further State Violence Against the Iranian People, says in part:

We, artists, writers, academics, and cultural practitioners from across disciplines and various countries, support the call of our Iranian colleagues to stand in solidarity with their struggle against the repressive and despotic Islamic state in Iran. We, the undersigned, unreservedly acknowledge and support the courage of all the women, men, and children of Iran in their fight for fundamental human rights and their clearly expressed desire to renew the nation’s social contract.

On December 7—Student Day—#StudentsforStudents solidarity actions were held at some 20 university campuses in the U.S. and at 16 campuses in other countries. And on December 10—International Human Rights Day—there were at least 100 protests around the world condemning the Islamic Republic’s execution of Mohsen, and demanding it halt executions.

Beware Imperialist Powers Fishing in Troubled Waters

As the Iranian people continue to struggle heroically against the fascist theocracy that is the Islamic Republic, the world’s imperialist powers continue to circle Iran and the Middle East like vultures, aggressively seeking ways to advance their predatory and conflicting interests.

Just this week, China and Saudi Arabia signed a new strategic agreement, strengthening Chinese imperialism’s regional position. Russia and Iran are reportedly strengthening their military ties, in relation to the war in Ukraine and beyond. Meanwhile, recent elections have brought extreme right-wing, anti-Iran fanatics to power in Israel. These forces may try to exploit any perceived Islamic Republic vulnerabilities resulting from the current uprising, including potentially striking at its nuclear facilities if talks between Iran and the U.S. break down.

In this perilous moment of escalating inter-imperialist rivalry and the danger of war between them rising, as well as ongoing conflicts between regional powers in the Middle East, the U.S. and its European allies are stepping up their threats and maneuvering. For example, the Biden administration is warning that Iran and Russia are moving toward “full-fledged defense partnership,” which it called a threat to Ukraine as well as U.S. allies in the Middle East (and U.S. domination of the region). And recently a top administration negotiator said Biden is prepared for war to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons if the nuclear negotiations fail.¹²

The U.S. rulers have also uttered words of support for the protesters in Iran and condemnations of the Islamic Republic’s repression. This does not make the blood-soaked rulers of the U.S. “friends” of the Iranian people. Everyone needs to soberly confront the reality that what the U.S. is doing—on all these fronts—is aimed at one thing: maintaining and strengthening America’s predatory empire of exploitation and oppression, while weakening or outright defeating its rivals—not advancing the interests of the Iranian people or humanity!