Reports Surface of Mass Prisoner Executions in Iran During Supreme Leader’s Funeral

By Sierra Knoch

President Trump today called the Iranian regime “scum” and indicated that he felt the negotiations with the regime were a waste of time. Many people have asked why President Trump has had such a sudden change of heart, towards the regime who he previously said he believed was capable of making a productive deal. However, there is more to the story, and we must remember that what goes on inside Iran, not just what the regime does externally, plays a role. President Trump has always stood for the Iranian people who have suffered greatly under the radical power-hungry theocratic leaders in the regime. In fact, President Trump has warned the regime many times that executing peaceful protesters is a red line for him, and while it may not be the most critical violation Iran has made in the past few weeks since the MOU was signed, it is an important piece of the bigger picture that has led to President Trump’s decision to resume strikes on the country.

Mass protests against the regime took place in the early days of Operation Epic Fury, and before the attacks started in February millions of Iranians took to the streets as well. The Iranian people bravely demonstrated their disapproval for the regime, that had already driven the nation’s economy down the drain despite being flush with oil and other natural resources, all in the name of pursuing a nuclear weapons program that drained the country’s financial resources and drew the attention of the U.S, and Israel, eventually leading to the launch of Operation Epic Fury. This week, Iran held funeral proceedings for the Ayatollah Khamenei, who was taken out by U.S. forces in the early days of Operation Epic Fury. The supreme leader’s funeral was never just about honoring his life or passing though, it was always an event that would be marked by significant political and strategic calculations.

The Iranian regime that has been ruling the country since the leader’s death, relies heavily on propaganda to prop itself up, after taking heavy blows to their legitimacy and popularity among the people of Iran during the war with the US and Israel. Iranians, who have suffered under economic hardship and scarcity, saw firsthand the legitimacy of the regime waning as the US and Israel easily destroyed their military power, and imposed heavy economic sanctions as well as a blockade that kept the IRGC leaders from selling oil. While the regime has flailed, botching negotiations with the U.S. despite Trump’s patience, the Iranian people have watched their rulers lose more and more legitimacy in the eyes of the world.

The Iranian people have a litany of legitimate grievances against their regime, but they face death, imprisonment, and torture for protesting and voicing their concerns. This has been an ongoing issue between the U.S. and Iran, throughout the various negotiations that have taken place between the two leaders. The U.S. and President Trump have warned Iranian leaders that America cannot make a deal with a regime that executes innocent peaceful protesters and President Trump was even able to delay the execution of some high-profile prisoners throughout the past few months. So it’s no surprise that this human rights issue has been a part of the negotiations and may have also led to the deterioration of the talks. Reports documented by the National Council of Resistance of Iran as well as NGO reports of another wave of prisoner executions, focusing on young prisoners mostly aged 20-30 surfaced in June, showing hundreds of deaths at Shiraz prison a well known regime prison where dissidents are kept.

One particularly disturbing story according to the NRCI was of a 25 year old female activist who was sent to jail along with her father, and sentenced to execution in June. Certain Iranian judges such as Akbari, Mohammadi, Salavati, Ejei, and Shahroudi are well known as tools of the regime, who approve executions often. Reports from inside Iran indicate these judges were responsible for ordering most of the June executions.

In a country where the truth is buried, and every aspect of public life is regulated for propaganda purposes, it is no surprise that the Supreme Leader’s funeral was chosen as a moment for the regime to reinstate fear among the population of Iranian civilians. I was able to obtain access to exclusive new reports from inside Iran have now surfaced indicating that throughout the week of the Supreme Leader’s funeral proceedings, the regime has again ramped up prisoner executions, IRGC checkpoints throughout the country, and targeting of dissidents. Iranian families, report missing relatives, nighttime raids, and loss of contact with prisoners being held by the regime this week. If the reports of another wave of mass executions such as the one that took place in June are true, then it is no surprise that President Trump lost his patience with the regime, who begged for a quiet week to honor their fallen leader, and then launched another round of attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian regimes flagrant disregard for human rights, and for President Trump’s call to protect Iranian civilians, only added to the list of violations that led to the breakdown of the MOU. In this context we can understand President Trump’s frustration with the regime did not in fact come out of nowhere, but has been building throughout this process, as the regime has treated their own people so badly, while also continuing aggression towards the US and the global energy supply. President Trump confirmed this in his own words today saying, “I think more than anything else is I got to know them, and I’m not sure I want to make a deal with them.”

From  lindeltv.com