Arash Rahmanipour
Encyclopedia
Arash Rahmanipour, was one of the two people hanged in early 2010 by Iranian regime
after being convicted of waging war against God (Moharebeh
) and attempting to overthrow the Islamic regime. Some government-controlled media outlets had originally alleged that one of the reasons behind Arash Rahmanipour's execution was for participation in post-election protests, trying to associate him with Iranian Green Movement, in what has been called by some analysts "an attempt to intimidate a widespread protest movement challenging the nation's hard-line establishment", despite the fact that Rahmanipour was arrested months before the 2009 presidential elections and was in jail during the post-election protests.
.
" and this membership is announced as the reason for execution. The Kingdom Assembly of Iran confirmed it had worked with Ali-Zamani, (but not Rahmanipour) and "dismissed the allegations" and insisted he had been forced to confess. The group said he had played no role in the post-election protests and had merely passed on news to its radio station.
The Islamic regime had announced nine other are sentenced to death and called them moharebeh
or "enemies of God". This came along with warning of more public trials of opposition supporters. This is apparently an "attempt to intimidate a widespread protest movement challenging the nation's hard-line establishment" Los Angeles Times
said.
According to the Washington Post
newspaper, the two men were arrested before the 2009 presidential elections and the protests over the legitimacy of the elections, but were tried in "the same mass trial" as the election protestors "in an attempt to show that the political opposition is in league with violent armed groups in a foreign-backed plot to overthrow the Islamic system."
According to officials of the regime "these two were executed in connection with Iranian protests after June election" But Rahmanipour's lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh denies the allegation of her client had to do with current Iranian protests.
According to Los Angeles Times
"The government has stepped up legal pressure on the opposition movement with another round of confrontations possible Feb. 11, the 31st anniversary of the founding of the Islamic Republic."
International by reporter Dorsa Jabbari he refused to "accept condolences over his son's death, only congratulations, as his son had died a martyr
for the cause of Iranian democracy."
Islamic republic
Islamic republic is the name given to several states in the Muslim world including the Islamic Republics of Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Mauritania. Pakistan adopted the title under the constitution of 1956. Mauritania adopted it on 28 November 1958. Iran adopted it after the 1979 Iranian...
after being convicted of waging war against God (Moharebeh
Moharebeh
Moharebeh is the title of a crime in Islamic law. Mohareb refers to the perpetrator of the crime. Moharebeh has been translated in English language media sources variously as "waging war against God," "war against God and the state," "enmity against God." Mohareb has been translated by English...
) and attempting to overthrow the Islamic regime. Some government-controlled media outlets had originally alleged that one of the reasons behind Arash Rahmanipour's execution was for participation in post-election protests, trying to associate him with Iranian Green Movement, in what has been called by some analysts "an attempt to intimidate a widespread protest movement challenging the nation's hard-line establishment", despite the fact that Rahmanipour was arrested months before the 2009 presidential elections and was in jail during the post-election protests.
Execution
The execution took place on Thursday January 28, 2010 just before dawn. The other executed prisoner was Mohammad-Reza Ali-ZamaniMohammad-Reza Ali-Zamani
Muhammed-Reza Ali-Zamani was an Iranian activist working for the "Iran Monarchy Committee" or Kingdom Assembly of Iran, who was sentenced to death by an Islamic Revolutionary Court, in October 2009 for moharebeh — "taking up arms against Iran's Islamic system," — and executed on 28 January...
.
Accusations
The regime has claimed that the two were members of a political group "the Kingdom Assembly of IranKingdom Assembly of Iran
Kingdom Assembly of Iran is a militant Iranian royalist group which seeks to overthrow the Islamic Republic and restore the ousted Iranian monarchy...
" and this membership is announced as the reason for execution. The Kingdom Assembly of Iran confirmed it had worked with Ali-Zamani, (but not Rahmanipour) and "dismissed the allegations" and insisted he had been forced to confess. The group said he had played no role in the post-election protests and had merely passed on news to its radio station.
The Islamic regime had announced nine other are sentenced to death and called them moharebeh
Moharebeh
Moharebeh is the title of a crime in Islamic law. Mohareb refers to the perpetrator of the crime. Moharebeh has been translated in English language media sources variously as "waging war against God," "war against God and the state," "enmity against God." Mohareb has been translated by English...
or "enemies of God". This came along with warning of more public trials of opposition supporters. This is apparently an "attempt to intimidate a widespread protest movement challenging the nation's hard-line establishment" Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
said.
According to the Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
newspaper, the two men were arrested before the 2009 presidential elections and the protests over the legitimacy of the elections, but were tried in "the same mass trial" as the election protestors "in an attempt to show that the political opposition is in league with violent armed groups in a foreign-backed plot to overthrow the Islamic system."
According to officials of the regime "these two were executed in connection with Iranian protests after June election" But Rahmanipour's lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh denies the allegation of her client had to do with current Iranian protests.
According to Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
"The government has stepped up legal pressure on the opposition movement with another round of confrontations possible Feb. 11, the 31st anniversary of the founding of the Islamic Republic."
Family response
Rahmanipour's father condemned the execution of his son as unjust and stated that he only learned of the execution and his son's death from the TV news. He has called his son a martyr, and according to a report on English-language Al JazeeraAl Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
International by reporter Dorsa Jabbari he refused to "accept condolences over his son's death, only congratulations, as his son had died a martyr
Shahid
Shahid is an Arabic word meaning "witness". It is a religious term in Islam, meaning both "witness" and "martyr." While a martyr may die as a consequence of fighting, a shahid is a "witness" because he gives his life out of passion for truth. The shahid exchanges himself for the divine and thereby...
for the cause of Iranian democracy."