By Baz Macdonald

This week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and celebs like Viola Davis and Sophie Turner took to social media, sharing to their millions of followers that 15,000 protesters in Iran are set to be executed.

This claim stems from a fake statement released last week that was then picked up by people on social media and news outlet Newsweek.

While the numbers aren’t correct, Iranian protesters and advocates say this may be part of a misinformation campaign by the Iranian Government.

The fake statement claimed to be an official document from the Iranian Government which said all arrested protesters would be charged with “moharebeh” which is the crime in Iran for “waging war against god” and can be punishable by death.

Newsweek reported on this fake statement, writing that “15,000 protesters face execution”. 

This article and a series of viral posts circulated widely online, including in a now deleted tweet from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

This original statement was fact-checked and found to be false by prominent outlets including fact-checking platform Snopes, and news outlets Al Jazeera and the BBC. 

BBC journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh tweeted:

“The widely shared claim that the Iranian regime has committed to executing 15,000 detained protesters is not true. Please stop sharing it. The Iranian regime is horrific, brutal and ruthless as it actually is. There's no need to make up stories.”

What’s actually happening?

As of Friday, the Iranian Government has reportedly sentenced five people to death in relation to sustained widespread protests.

 

  • One person has been charged with moharebeh, as well as “setting fire to a government centre, disturbing public order and collusion for committing crimes against national security”
  • Two were sentenced for “using a knife in the street to cause fear and terror for the people”
  • One person was accused of killing a police officer with a car
  • And another person was accused of being a leader in organising street riots

Snopes reported that at least 20 other protesters are facing charges punishable by death.

According to the organisation Iran Human Rights, 342 protesters have been killed during protests - including 43 people under the age of 18.

Iranian State Media has reported the deaths of 38 security personnel.

Organisation Human Right Activists In Iran estimates the Government has arrested 16,033 people.

Why are Iranian people protesting?

Protests in Iran began on September 16 following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died following her arrest by the country’s morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab incorrectly.

After her funeral, protests first began in Amini’s hometown of Saqqez when women took to the streets and removed their hijab in solidarity.

These soon became widespread across the country, with people protesting their Government’s treatment of women and other rights restrictions.

In the two months since, protests have persisted, with social media reports of violent confrontations with security forces on many occasions.

Why did this 15,000 number go viral?

Hanna Habibi is the spokesperson for the New Zealand Iranian Solidarity Group.

She fled Iran in 2010 because of the lack of social and political freedoms, and “daily humiliation” as a woman.

She says this “15,000 executions” claim went viral because she and many others don’t believe it’s that far-fetched based on the Iranian Government’s history.

“This regime has previously committed mass executions, and killed protesters and people from different political views in the first decade after the Iranian revolution.”

That revolution happened in 1979, when the country became an Islamic republic, which means the laws and governance of the country are driven by a version of the Muslim faith.

Habibi says this regime has been “brutal and unethical” to the degree that “it is not out of imagination that hundreds or thousands of people are at risk of being executed” in relation to the protests happening now.

Habibi claims in the first round of 10 sentences the Government delivered last week, one of these was a death sentence.

“It is a small sample, but given that over 16,000 people have been arrested so far, just doing the maths there is likely to be a large number of death sentences.”

Habibi also questioned whether the Iranian Government itself had released this fake document in order to sow confusion and doubt among the world’s governments and media.

“They want to redirect the attention and news coverage.”

What can New Zealand do?

Habibi says the New Zealand Government is “really behind” in its response to this situation.

She highlights that many other governments, including Canada’s, have taken fast measurable actions against Iran, including banning officials from their countries, and identifying individuals and the Iranian Government as terrorist organisations.

So far, the strongest action the New Zealand Government has taken is suspending a human rights conference with Iran.

“We are trying to work with [the New Zealand Government] and channel our demands,” Habibi says.

“We expect action. We expect measurable practical action from the Government to recognise this.”

Top image: A portrait of Mahsa Amini stands next to an Iranian opposition flag during a protest gathering. Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images.

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