Six young people from the Ekbatan neighborhood in Tehran have been sentenced to execution (qisas) in connection with the death of a Basij member, “Arman Alivardi,” during the 2022 protests. However, their trial has been marked by serious irregularities, vague charges, and state-controlled narratives aimed at justifying the punishment.

State media has attempted to frame this case as a religiously and legally justified "retribution" under Islamic law, using the word qisas to deflect attention from the political nature of these sentences. By doing so, they seek to normalize executions and silence public outrage.

But we must be clear: this is not justice. It is repression disguised as law.

The Iranian regime is using religious and legal language to minimize public sympathy for the accused and to divert attention from the brutal reality of the death penalty as a tool of political control. This is part of a wider strategy to break the spirit of the protest movement, especially in young, urban communities like Ekbatan.

We demand the immediate halt of these death sentences and a fair, transparent legal process for all political detainees.