Mohsen Shekari

Mohsen Shekari was a 23-year-old citizen from Tehran. He was arrested by the security forces during the nationwide uprising triggered by the murder of Mahsa Amini and was charged with Moharebeh for allegedly wounding a Basij member. He was the first protester of the 2022 uprising to get executed.

• <coverage-outsourcing id='44153'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3Pcn38R'> He was arrested in the Sattar Khan area in Tehran during the 2022 national uprising triggered by the murder of Mahsa Amini. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44154'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3Pcn38R'> His first trial session was held. According to the judiciary's Mizan website, he had wounded a Basij member during an altercation with security forces. The Basij member apparently received 13 stitches in his shoulder. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44155'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3Pcn38R'> He was sentenced to death by the revolutionary court of Tehran on the charge of Moharebeh (waging war against God and Islam). Mizan reported that the revolutionary court claimed that the Moharebeh sentence was based on the claims that Mohsen Shekari drew a weapon with the intent to cause terror and undermine people's freedom and safety with the intent to cause harm with a sharp weapon to a security agent on duty, blocking the street, and disrupting social order and security. According to Mizan, after the appeal request, the case was referred to the supreme court where the sentence was confirmed. A video aired by state TV shows that Judge Amouzad at the 28th branch of the revolutionary court of Tehran presided over Mohsen Shekari's trial. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44159'> <reference source='https://t.me/dhrciran/3316'> Nasrin Sotoudeh and Mohammad Seifzadeh, two legal experts and human rights activists released a joint statement emphasizing that the Islamic Republic's revolutionary courts are not legally qualified to try and sentence the arrested protesters. They stated that the defendants were denied independent legal counsel and therefore the rulings and the sentences are not legally acceptable. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44576'> <reference source='https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/12/iran-horrifying-execution-of-young-protester-exposes-authorities-cruelty-and-risk-of-further-bloodshed/'> Amnesty International released a statement calling Mohsen Shekari's execution "horrific" and said the sentence was executed three weeks after a completely unfair trial in which he received a death sentence for his participation in the national uprising. Amnesty expressed concern about the quick trial procedures and executions. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44579'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/pinapic/status/1600779784174587904?s=20&t=1LXqGEcz_pd-b_znY2KmLA'> Pina Picierno, an Italian member of the European Parliament reacted to the execution of Mohsen Shekari in a tweet, calling it insanity. She added: > You will always find us on the side of freedom standing with the protesters. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44577'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/ABaerbock/status/1600824618490597376?s=20&t=k3_3nQIgnKmnsiCW_lWM5w'> Several European officials including the foreign ministers of Germany and the UK, and some US, UN, and EU officials condemned the execution of Mohsen Shekari. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44157'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3Pcn38R'> He was executed in the early hours of Thursday. The judiciary's Mizan website reported the news and released a video of Mohsen Shekari's forced confessions. In the video, Mohsen was identified as a "gamer and an addict" who injured a security agent. The video shows some scenes from his trial in which a witness (whose face was blurred) claims that "people were very scared" and "the defendant was standing in the street with a knife and wouldn't let people pass." </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44580'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/hickspeggy/status/1600811384685592579?s=20&t=4-VQoN8xEovJqh-pmKomYQ'> Peggy Hix, a UN official reacted to the execution of Mohsen Shekari and demanded the abolition of the death sentence. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44578'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/JamesCleverly/status/1600840247683579905?s=20&t=FLyuPeYygTSkojNoKWdKbA'> In response to the execution of Mohsen Shekari, UK Foreign Minster James Cleverly wrote: > The world can't close its eyes to the disgusting violence of Iran's regime against its own people. Britain is against the death sentence in any situation. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44167'> <reference source='https://www.iranintl.com/202212080361'> Iran International reported that according to sources, a few days before his execution, Mohsen Shekari had told other prisoners that he believed his death sentence was just a scare tactic. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44256'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/1500tasvir/status/1601101043038703616?s=20&t=sBJ4VhFg6GA6RLQDqa74Pw'> The 1500+ Twitter account reported that Mohsen Shekari's body was buried at Behesht Zahra in the presence of many security forces and very few family members under the condition of not publicizing the event. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44581'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/USEnvoyIran/status/1600959795711774720?s=20&t=m6fwLXDHkZCnb5k52i92yA'> US special representative on Iran Robert Malley also reacted to the execution of Mohsen Shekari in a tweet, claiming the US and its allies will fight against the violation of human rights in Iran. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44433'> <reference source='https://t.me/emtedadnet/73097'> Retired judge and supreme court magistrate Mohammad Hossein Saket told Emtedad website that the death sentence of Mohsen Shekari was legally unacceptable even according to the Islamic Republic's laws and that the crime of Moharebeh was not proven in the case and even if it was, since no one was killed, it wouldn't have required a death penalty. He also stated that the mandatory court-appointed attorneys are also an affront to justice when the defendant wants to hire their own attorney. He criticized the quick process of the case and said he does not understand it. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44432'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3PoR7OQ'> After the judiciary issued 28 death sentences for arrested protesters and executed Mohsen Shekari, some well-known judicial and seminary figures criticized the judiciary's method. Morteza Moghtadaei, a member of the Seminary Teachers Society of Qom said when a person fights with one person, it cannot be labeled as Moharebeh, and not all people who are charged with Moharebeh should be executed unless they kill somebody. A high-ranking member of the Researchers Assembly of Qom Seminaries also told ILNA: "When someone has the right to protest and the agents prevent it and he defends himself, that is not Moharebeh. We can't just label whatever people do in the streets as Moharebeh. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='49151'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/1500tasvir/status/1614669212022353921'> The family of Mohsen Shekari was not allowed to place a tombstone on his grave. According to 1500+ Tasvir account on Twitter, the Islamic Republic authorities told Mohsen Shekari's family that it is forbidden to place a tombstone on his grave. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='48509'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/MajidTavakolii/status/1629080038233497602'> In a series of tweets, Mahid Tavakkoli described the last days leading to the execution of Mohsen Shekari: > When Mohsen Shekari was arrested, they brought him to ward 209 and later 241 [of Evin Prison]. He was in hall two. after the riot in ward 7 of Evin, all the prisoners from ward 241 were moved to hall one and I saw him there for the first time. He was arrested with his buddy Alireza. He was hopeless and wasn't communicative. after a few days of chatting, he started to talk about his case and hard life. The interrogation process was very quick and his case was sent to court. He had a bad court-appointed attorney. Ms. Razieh Sekhavati usually doesn't do much to save her clients. She had convinced him to accept the initial confession so she can use his family condition and medical history and his previous suicide attempt to help him. Which usually doesn't work and the medical committee session had taken only a few minutes. After our talk, Mohsen agreed to reject his initial forced confession, fire his attorney, and hire hire a couple of other lawyers (Raisian and Nili who was still free at the time). After the first trial session, he seemed to be in a better mood. After his transfer, I was unaware of his situation for a while. But he believed that the case process is going well. The person who was stabbed wasn't badly injured and Mohsen would have been fined 50 or 70 million rials. The argument was he was trying to defend his friend. They had made him some promises at court. I was concerned. Forced video confession and the court not accepting his chosen attorneys were concerning... A few attorneys were trying to find his family and help him legally... At noon everyone had heard the bad news. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>