While President Barack Obama (D) is busy engaging with Iran, except when he isn't speaking about their violent election arrests, Iran is busy trying--and then quickly hanging--those Iranians who protested last summer's contested re election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other infractions. According to Andrew Roche of Reuters one of those hung was 19 years old, the age of the other is unknown at present.
His lawyer protested, saying
An execution with this speed and rush has only one explanation ... the government is trying to prevent the expansion of the current (opposition) movement through the spread of fear and intimidation," lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh said.
And what evil crimes did these two, and the others also sentenced to death, commit that there was virtually no international protest, no international outcry?
The two men executed at dawn on Thursday were among 11 sentenced to death on charges including "moharebeh" (waging war against God), trying to overthrow the Islamic establishment and membership of armed groups, the student news agency ISNA said. (snip)Iran's English-language Press TV said the two put to death were members of the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, which it said was involved in a deadly mosque bombing in Shiraz in 2008.
Iran's judiciary had previously said more than 80 people had been jailed for up to 15 years over the unrest and five had received death sentences. It was not clear whether they were included in the cases reported on Thursday.
Internet messages have been circulating about new protests on February 11, when Iran marks the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution which toppled the U.S.-backed shah.
The election protesters are not the only ones on trial with possible death sentences literally hanging on their heads. Seven believers in the Baha'i religion, which is banned in Iran, are also on trial for spying for Israel and well, being a Baha'i, crimes punishable by death as explained in this AP article .
However, Reuters points out that there has been some protest.
In his annual State of the Union address, Obama suggested Ahmadinejad's combative administration was increasingly besieged internationally over a nuclear program the West believes is intended to produce nuclear weapons. Iran denies it.
"The international community is more united, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is more isolated," he said. "And as Iran's leaders continue to ignore their obligations, there should be no doubt: they too, will face growing consequences."
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in London after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov there was "growing understanding ... that Iran should face consequences for its defiance of international obligations."
The consequences will probably be more futile engagement.
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