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The Islamic Republic of Iran has long ranked among the world’s top executioners. But with the recent death sentence handed down to protesters, critics say the regime has taken the death penalty to a new level.
Iran was executed last weekend two more protesters He was charged with killing a security officer, sparking an international outcry. Critics said the execution was the result of a hasty sham trial.
System 314 executions in 2021, 20% more than the previous year, human rights group Amnesty International said in a May 2022 report. Many of them were involved in drug-related crimes.
This year, many protesters are intertwined. Iran’s court systemactivists say, many of them face particularly unjust judicial proceedings.
Human rights activists warn there is a real risk that many of them could become another number on an ever-growing list. Executions by the Islamic RepublicAt least 43 people are currently facing execution in Iran, according to a CNN tally, but activist group 1500Tasvir says the number could reach 100.
“During trial, defendants were systematically deprived of access to lawyers of their choice, tortured and coerced into confessing,” Tara Seperi Farr, an Iran researcher at Human Rights Watch, told CNN. He will be hanged,” he said.
UN Human Rights Commission Executive Director Volker Türk on Tuesday accused Iran of “weaponizing” criminal procedures, which amounted to “state-sanctioned killings”.
Critics say the latest wave of protests has prompted authorities to use the death penalty more leniently than before, broadening the reach of such laws to protesters.
According to Iranian state media, dozens of government agenciesfrom security officials Basij paramilitary forces, was killed in a protest. Activist groups HRANA and Iran Human Rights say 481 protesters have been killed.
Seperi Farr said security personnel had also died in previous protests.
The regime appears to have used the executions as a deterrent to those who wanted to raise their voices and rush into the streets. This was seen after the death of her 22-year-old Masajina Amini in the custody of the country’s moral police.
“Trials and executions are another part of the repression machine that serves to demonstrate power and control, spread fear, and spread the government’s account of protesters,” explained Sepeli Farr.
Iran has used Islamic Shariah law to charge protesters with crimes that carry the death penalty: “war against God” or “moharebeh” and “corruption on earth.” United Nations Office for Human Rightsseconds.
The process has also been criticized domestically.
Mohsen Borhani, a professor at the University of Tehran and an expert in Islamic jurisprudence, also disputes the use of such religious-based prosecutions against protesters.so TV debate Last month, he argued that the executed protesters were accused of waging war against God, but that their role in the protest didn’t really merit such charges.
He said the weapon brandishing by the protesters was meant to intimidate, not harm, the guards. “This is fundamentally outside the realm of Mohalebeh because the person’s opposition is directed against the government, not the civilian population.”
Sepehri Far said Mohsen Shekari, one of the first protesters to be executed, was accused of injuring a police officer. “Others have been sentenced to death for very vague charges such as destroying public property, arson and using weapons to spread terrorism,” she said.
Activists say Iranian authorities have developed sophisticated methods of disseminating disinformation about how, why and when executions are carried out.Civil rights activist Athena Dami said in a tweetFor example, several Iranian news outlets reported that death row activists had been released, news that the death row inmate’s family refuted.
Activists say condemning the protests is not enough. The European Union has taken note of this, and as the bloc continues to debate imposing fourth round sanctions on Iran, some members are calling for a move to classify the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. is supporting
Saudi Arabia lifts pilgrim limit for 2023 Hajj season
Saudi Arabia aims to welcome pre-pandemic numbers of Muslim pilgrims for the Hajj in 2023, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said in a tweet on Monday. Beginning June 26, this season, Hajj pilgrims will not be subject to age restrictions.
- Background: The Kingdom will limit the number of pilgrims to 1,000 in 2020 and increase the quota to almost 60,000 in 2021, but only for residents of Saudi Arabia. In 2022, the kingdom allowed her one million Muslims to perform ceremonies. The holy sites of the cities of Mecca and Medina usually receive more than two million people during their pilgrimage.
- why it matters: Hajj practice is one of the five pillars of Islam and every healthy Muslim should do it at least once in their life. Saudi Arabia sees pilgrimage as a key component of its plans to diversify its economy. According to Mastercard’s latest Global Destination Cities Index, Mecca raised $20 billion 2018 tourist dollar.
Egypt promises IMF to slow down projects, raise fuel prices
Reuters committed to flexible currencies, a greater role for the private sector and various monetary and fiscal reforms when it agreed a $3 billion financial assistance package with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Reuters reported. . on tuesday. Among its pledges is to delay investment in public projects, including state projects, to curb inflation and save foreign currency, though it has not specified where the cuts will be made. Egypt also said it would allow most fuel product prices to rise until they are consistent with the country’s fuel index mechanism to compensate for the slowdown in gains last year.
- Background: In its prospectus to the IMF, Egypt said it sought help after the war in Ukraine increased existing vulnerabilities amid tightening global financial conditions and rising commodity prices. Under this support, the IMF plans to provide Egypt with about $700 million in the fiscal year ending in June.
- why it matters: Egypt is already suffering from economic difficulties and rising inflation, causing discontent within the country. The 2011 revolution was partially driven by economic problems and cost of living.
Saudi Arabia plans to use domestic uranium for nuclear fuel
Saudi Arabia plans to use domestically sourced uranium to build its own nuclear industry, Reuters news agency quoted Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman on Wednesday. He added that recent exploration has shown a diverse portfolio of uranium.
- Background: Saudi Arabia has an early nuclear program that it wants to eventually expand to include uranium enrichment, a classified area given its role in nuclear weapons. Riyadh says it wants to use nuclear power to diversify its energy mix.
- why it matters: Nuclear reactors require enriched uranium to about 5% purity, but the same techniques in this process can also be used to enrich heavy metals to higher weapons-grade levels. The issue has been at the center of Western and regional concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. It is unclear where Saudi Arabia’s ambitions will end, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in 2018 that if Iran develops nuclear weapons, the kingdom will. and committed to not reprocess spent fuel.
German exports to Iran rose 12.7% last year, according to Reuters. Although Iran’s brutal crackdown on protesters has severely soured political relations between the two countries, trade ties remain intact, with trade reaching $1.6 billion between January and November. Rose. Berlin is now pushing the fourth package of European Union sanctions against Iran.
The Gulf country of Oman is the latest among a handful of countries to consider moving to a four-day work week.
The government has said it is exploring the possibility of extending the weekend to three days instead of two, citing the success of other countries in pilots to test the move.
Undersecretary of Labor Ministry Salem Bin Muslim Al Busaidi told local media that the country’s workforce is adopting remote work, part-time jobs and other initiatives to modernize the working environment. He said he was already becoming more flexible.
Several countries, such as Iceland, Spain, and Ireland, are experimenting with a four-day work week, and the trials suggest that this shift will improve productivity.
Oman’s neighbor, the UAE, has seen the most dramatic changes in the domestic working environment. In addition to shifting the country’s weekends to Saturday and Sunday instead of Friday and Saturday, the country has adopted a four-and-a-half-day workweek in 2022.
The Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, has taken it a step further by adopting a four-day workweek in all government departments and allowing private companies to do the same.
The emirate is 40% reduction in traffic accidents According to local media, the first eight months saw an increase in employee productivity and a decrease in gas emissions due to reduced commuting.
The Covid-19 outbreak has dramatically changed the working environment in the Gulf region, forcing companies to adapt to new ways of working under restrictions.
Mohammed Abdelbari
