In a three year period there have been over two thousand four hundred executions in the county. Many of those that were killed were oppressing the regime and were political dissidents. Many supporting the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK). 

On the 10th of March there was a report issued by Ahmed Shaheed who is the UN special reporter for human rights in Iran. He mentioned that executions in Iran are at an all time high and in 2015 they had doubled from those that took place in 2010. Ten times the amount that took place since 2005! If those figures are not shocking enough, then read on. …

The trend continues, there were 21 hangings, in 2 days in the second week of May. Iran is also one of the largest electors of juveniles in the world. Many are being put to death because of their religious and ethnic values, and these executions have rapidly increased instead of being put on hold. Those put to death are cruelly punished, and in August of last year Mashhad had his right hand and left foot amputated as people watched on. Punishments in public in Iran are widespread and contrary to belief do not just take place in prisons. In 2014 25 Iranian women and girls that were looked on as being not correctly covered with their scarves, were cruelly attacked in acid attacks and there has been a crack down on those that write, blog, those that are activists and those that are artists- basically anyone that wants freedom of speech. As a result, Iran is the largest jailer of journalists in the Middle East. Human rights are deteriorating and fast. The country are involved with the Syrian war as a result of their republic guard being present in Syria, and on the 13th of may, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif praised Hezbollah’s top military commander in Syria when he died in an explosion. 

“I express my condolences on the martyrdom of the great holy fighter Mustafa Badreddine who was full of spirit and heroism in defending the righteous values of Islam and the combatant people of Lebanon,” Zarif said in a message to Hezbollah leaders. 

It is important despite the dangers posed to Iranians that the 9th July Free Iran rally has support and it is set to draw in thousands of people from all warps of life. It is time to voice your opinion and it is time to overthrow the cruel atrocities that ate taking place in Iran. 

Perviz Khazaii is the former Ambassador of Iran in Sweden and Norway and the representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran in Nordic countries.