Hossein Jalali

Hossein Jalali, the representative of Rafsanjan in Iran’s Parliament, has called for the execution of the protesters arrested during the 2022 nationwide protests.

Jalali is one of the 227 MPs who, in a letter read in the public session of parliament on 6 November 2022, declared the protesters “mohareb” (enemies of God) and asked the judiciary to carry out the death penalty against them.

Following the publication of this letter by the media, which sparked public outrage, a number of lawmakers denied signing it. Hossein Jalali, however, was the only one who confirmed the existence and signing of a letter which demanded Qisas – retaliation in kind – against protesters.

The 2022-23 protests began following the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini on September 13, 2022, in the detention of the morality police of the Islamic Republic. These protests quickly spread across the country and are remembered as the largest revolutionary uprising against the government since the establishment of the Islamic Republic.

The Iranian government responded to these protests with deadly violence. According to human rights organizations, the security forces of the Islamic Republic have killed at least 551 people, with a minimum of 68 of them being children.

Iranian Lawmakers Try To Deny Asking For Executions, Iran International, 14 November 2022