• Spanish
    • French
    • English
  • Newsletter
Atalayar Politics
The keys to the world in your handsLes clés du monde entre vos mainsLas claves del mundo en tus manos
Search
Sections
Follow us
Language
  • Spanish
  • French
  • English
This coincides with new death sentences handed down by the regime against two protesters: Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini

Senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard officer assassinated in Tehran

Iranian women's struggle inspires the world

An Iranian commits suicide to raise awareness of the situation in his country

UK will designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group

AFP PHOTO/HO/KHAMENEI.IR - Members of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
Margarita Arredondas
Updated: 04/01/23

Qassem Fathollahi, a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), has died after being shot four times outside his home in southern Tehran. Fathollahi was part of the Mohammad Rasool Allah division of the Iranian corps in the capital and was also a commander of Basij forces in the Mokhtari neighbourhood, state news agency Tasnim reported, describing the incident as "a terrorist attack". The colonel in charge of the police investigation told the news agency that "signs of robbery were found in the flats near the scene of the murder". 

guardia revolucionaria iran

The Basij forces - of which Fathollahi was a member - is a volunteer paramilitary branch linked to the IRGC that has played a key role in the brutal crackdown on protesters since the start of the current protests. According to the NGO Iran Human Rights, at least 476 Iranians have been killed by the authorities, including 64 minors. Many of the detainees have also suffered torture and sexual abuse at the hands of the security forces. 

Fathollahi's death came after a day full of commemorations to mark the third anniversary of the death of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, an elite IRGC corps. During the day, the Iranian authorities organised several events to commemorate Soleimani, who was killed during a US drone strike in Iraq.

During one of the ceremonies dedicated to Soleimani, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi assured that revenge for his assassination "will be final". "The Americans must know that we will not overlook the blood of the martyr Soleimani," Raisi declared. "We will not let the murderers and perpetrators (of his assassination) sleep peacefully," he added. 

Regime confirms death sentence against Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini 

Despite the events organised by the regime, the anti-government protests that began after the murder of the young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini have not ceased. On the anniversary of Soleimani's death, protesters have burned banners with the lieutenant general's face on them, as they have done before, as well as pictures of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

The regime, for its part, has already begun issuing death sentences. In December, Mohsen Shekari and Majiz Reza Rahnavard, both 23, were the first to be officially executed by the authorities. At least 100 other protesters are also at risk of imminent execution. However, Iran Human Rights recalls that the real number "is much higher", as most of the families "are under pressure to remain silent". 

In the last few hours, the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic of Iran has confirmed the death sentence against 21-year-old karate champion Mohammad Mehdi Karami and 39-year-old Seyed Mohammad Hosseini. Another death sentence has also recently been confirmed against 19-year-old Mohammad Boroghani, accused of being an "enemy of God".  

According to Amnesty International, others currently on death row include Sahand Nourmohammad-Zadeh, Mahan Sedarat Madani, Manouchehr Mehman Navaz, Mohammad Ghobadlou, Saman Seydi, Hamid Ghare Hasanlou, Akbar Ghafarri, and four others whose surnames are Alborz and first names are unknown. Several citizens have also been charged with offences carrying the death penalty, such as the famous rapper Toomaj Salehi, famous for his lyrics against the Iranian authorities. 

Tags:
More in Politics