Mohammad-Reza Ali-Zamani | |
|---|---|
| محمدرضا علیزمانی | |
 | |
| Born | 1972 |
| Died | 28 January 2010 (aged 38) |
Muhammed-Reza Ali-Zamani (Persian: محمدرضا علیزمانی; ca. 1972 – 28 January 2010) was an Iranian activist working for the "Iran Monarchy Committee"[1] or Kingdom Assembly of Iran, who was sentenced to death by an Islamic Revolutionary Court, in October 2009 for moharebeh – "taking up arms against Iran's Islamic system" – and executed on 28 January 2010.
According to his indictment, Ali-Zamani joined the Kingdom Assembly of Iran "after hearing about it on a television satellite channel" and is accused of "distributing anti-regime CDs and propaganda" and "copies of The Satanic Verses", being trained in chemical weapons and providing information on Iranian officials "targeted for assassination".[1] According to Dordaneh Fouladvand — an Assembly spokeswoman—he had worked with the organisation but had played no role in the post-election protests.[1] According to the same source: "His job was simply to pass on news for our radio station and to make broadcast packages".[1] In January 2010, Ali-Zamani and 20 year old Arash Rahmanipour were hanged on the same day.[2]
His was the first case following the mass protests following the 2009 election to result in a death sentence,[3] and human rights campaigners fear it may "pave the way for further politically driven executions" in Iran.[1] He was one of over 100 opposition supporters who were accused of inciting street protests after the election [4] was reported to be among the first of these detainees executed.[5] He was reportedly denied access to a defense attorney.[6]
Mark Fitzpatrick, from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, suggested that Ali-Zamani's harsh sentence was an effort on the part of the Iranian government to discourage future protests: "It sounds like the regime continues to feel very vulnerable and is utilizing all the powers of control at its disposal to stamp out protests," Mr. Fitzpatrick said.[3]