The exile is worried about Christmas: – More people will be executed

The execution of Majidreza Rahnavard has shaken the world, including exiles. One of them is Kamal Khoshnood who lives in Arendal.

– When I heard about the execution, I felt sick and full of anger. It was indescribably painful to read that news, he says to TV 2.

Khoshnood is a representative of the organization “Iranian Political Prisoners for Free Iran”.

33 years ago he came to Norway as a political refugee. In his old homeland, he himself was detained for demonstrating against the Iranian regime.

– I myself was subjected to torture, but the worst of all was hearing the screams of girls and my friends, he says.

Subsequently, Khoshnood was sentenced to four years in prison. However, he was released on bail, and then fled to Norway.

Now he follows the news closely, and on Monday 12 December he woke up to the news of the execution of Majidreza Rahnavard (23).

– Unfortunately, the news did not come as a shock, he says.

According to Khoshnood, the execution of Majidreza will not be the last. He believes the regime will become more brutal in the future, especially when the Western countries will soon be taking their Christmas holidays.

– The Iranian regime often executes people while the Western countries are in holiday mode, such as on long weekends or at Christmas, he says and continues:

– I think the number of executions will increase in the future, especially during the Christmas holidays, because the regime knows that there are few Western journalists and politicians working during that period. Then they take advantage of the opportunity, he says.

– Concrete actions

The execution has provoked strong international reactions, and new and harsher reactions are now expected from the EU.

However, Kamal Khoshnood believes that democratic countries such as Norway have not done enough to prevent the executions.

He believes the international sanctions must be more consistent.

– The only way to prevent the executions is to show more concrete actions than to call Iran’s ambassador on the carpet, he says.

Demands reaction

Khoshnood emphasizes that there were also not enough reactions against Iran after the execution of 23-year-old Mohsen Shekari on 8 December.

– If there had been harsh and concrete reactions and sanctions against Iran after the first execution, the second execution would not have happened, claims Khoshnood.

He goes on to say that he does not think the Iranians will let themselves be cowed.

– The more people the regime executes, the more people will participate in the demonstrations, he says. He believes the executions only lead to more fuel on the fire.

Participated in the demonstrations

Iranian authorities recently confirmed that the country has carried out the second execution of a protester.

The judiciary website Mizan states that “Majidreza Rahnavard was publicly executed in Mashhad after being sentenced to death on 29 November”. He was accused of killing two security guards with a knife and injuring four others.

This is the second time that the Shiite clerical board has executed a person who has participated in the protests that began when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in the custody of the moral police.

The extensive actions against the regime are described as the biggest challenge to the country’s governance system since the Islamic revolution in 1979.

According to the Oslo-based organization Iran Human Rights, at least 488 people have been killed in the demonstrations.

Both Rahnavard and Shekari were convicted of “moharebeh”, a term that means waging war against God.