Majid Reza Rahnavard

Majid Reza Rahnavard was a monarchist living in Mashhad and was arrested during the nationwide uprising in 2022. He was severely beaten and wounded during the arrest and was heavily tortured afterward. He was sentenced to death in just a few days in an untransparent process. He was executed on December 12 at the age of 23.

The murder of Mahsa Amini triggered a country-wide uprising in September 2022 in Iran. The protests were initially sporadical around the country and against the mandatory hijab. But in a few days, dozens of cities in Iran became the scenes of clashes between protesters and security forces. The protesters' main demands were freedom of attire and the overthrow of the Islamic Republic. The focus of the protests on women led to international attention. <symbol-timeline></symbol-timeline>

• <coverage-outsourcing id='43763'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3gSIRJZ'> IRGC's Tasnim News reported the arrest of Majid Reza Rahnavard. The news agency showed images of Majid Reza Rahnavard in which it is clear that he has been severely assaulted and wounded. In the images, his left arm was broken and in a cast. Other images of Mr. Rahnavard on social media later revealed that he had the ancient Iranian symbol of the Lion and the Sun tattooed on his left arm, which is possibly why the government agents had broken his left arm since the Islamic Republic shows strong animosity towards pre-Islamic Iranian symbols. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='43764'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2022/hranews/a-38037/'> According to HRANA, the first trial session of Majid Reza Rahnavard was held in Mashhad revolutionary court presided by Judge Hadi Mansouri. Prosecutor Mohammad Hossein Doroudi has charged him with Moharebeh (waging war against God). </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='49025'> <reference source='https://www.magiran.com/article/4367234'> It was reported that one of the branches of the revolutionary court of Mashhad presided by Judge Hadi Mansouri has sentenced Majid Reza Rahnavard to death on the charge of Moharebeh (waging war against God and Islam). The rushed trial was held while the defendant did not have access to his hired attorney and was visibly tortured after the arrest. The representative of the prosecution in court, a person named Ghannad accused him of Moharebeh by drawing a knife with intent to kill. There were selectively edited videos of the trial published in domestic media. Based on IPA's review, the evidence and the comments in court shows a complete disregard for the fair trial principles. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44329'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3W0aZtM'> Mohammad Reza Rahnavard was executed. The judiciary's Mizan website reported that he was executed in public. Majid Reza Rahnavard Was sentenced to death in an unclear procedure in just five days after his arrest. He was severely beaten during the arrest and his arm was broken as a result. He was executed on December 12, 2022. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44469'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3HFaDES'> The execution of Majid Reza Rahnavard caused a massive backlash and drew reactions from many including members of the European Parliament, political prisoners, human rights activists, and families of other victims. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44565'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3YpfhNk'> A day after his execution, the state media released his forced confessions under torture. In the confessions, he says some negative things about some of the public figures in the revolution including Ali Karimi. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44564'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3W73FwP'> Government forces attacked the home of Majid Reza Rahnavard, harassing his family and writing graffiti on the wall such as "home of a murderer". IranWire reported that the torment of Majid Reza Rahnavard's family caused massive backlash online and some compared it to the behavior of Nazi Germany. There was supposed to be an event honoring Majid Reza Rahnavard in a mosque in Mashhad, but the mosque doors were closed to the attendees. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='49028'> <reference source='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxkzXI45mGs'> In an attempt to present a negative anti-Islam image of Majid Reza Rahnavard, the state media released a video of his last will before execution. In the video, in response to the reporter's question about the content of his will, Majid Reza Rahnavard said: > I don't want them to cry over my grave; Don't read the Quran or say prayers over my grave. I want them to celebrate. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='47265'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/borhanimohsen1/status/1621040777622343685?s=20'> Law professor and legal expert Mohsen Borhani at Tehran University stated that the supreme court's ruling in the case of Ghobadlou proved that the death sentence of Majid Reza Rahnavard was not legally correct and his alleged crime, if proven, would not have fit the charge of Moharebeh. Borhani's comments in this case and a few others led to his removal from the faculty of Tehran University. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>