Soccer player among dozens facing execution in Iran

Shahid Alikhani square is an undefined part of the historic Iranian city of Isfahan. Its only outstanding claim is the grand entrance to one of the city’s main metro stations.

But it has now become a place of pilgrimage for fans of famous Iranian soccer player Amir Nasr-Azadani, who fear the youth could be executed in the square, where an execution platform has been set up, said a witness close to Nasr-Azadani at the Iran told CNN 🇧🇷

Terrified Iranian families believe that while the Western world is preoccupied with Christmas celebrations, a wave of executions in the country is imminent following the recent protests that swept the country following the September death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman detained by the notorious Iranian morals. police for being accused of wearing the hijab improperly.

In collaboration with the activist group 1500Tasvir, the CNN verified documents, videos, witness statements and statements from within the country that suggest at least 43 people, including Nasr-Azadani, could face imminent execution.

Authorities have already executed at least two people related to the protests in Iran last month, one of whom was publicly hanged.

Witness testimonies and official documents, reviewed by the CNN and 1500Tasvir, provide evidence that suggests a rushed court process in Iran; accusations that could lead to the death sentence, often handed down in a single session.

Nasr-Azadani is accused of involvement in the killing of three security personnel, including two volunteer members of the Basij militia, during protests in Isfahan on Nov. 16, Iranian state media IRNA reported last week.

According to state media, the city’s chief justice, Asadullah Jafari, said Nasr-Azadani was accused of Baghi – or of rioting against the authorities. Under Iran’s penal code, the sentence carries the death penalty.

Since then, a witness to his arrest has said he hoped Nasr-Azadani would be released, but he nevertheless visited Shahid Alikhani Square daily to see if the authorities would show up with the player and execute him on the scaffold. “From the day he was arrested, the authorities told us he would be released by the end of the week,” the witness told CNN 🇧🇷

Then the information dried up. Weeks later, the witness, close to Nasr-Azadani, said the authorities told them the 26-year-old could be hanged in Shahid Alikhani Square.

“The idea that they can execute him at any moment is really hard on us… and the daily news we hear is worrying.”

Nasr-Azadani’s family was initially unaware of the reason for his arrest, the witness told CNN , and authorities have not shared information about his condition. People close to him were also told to “keep silent” about his case if they wanted to release him sooner, he said.

The court said last week that it had obtained “sufficient video and documentation to prove that he [Nasr-Azadani] is part of an armed group” and that the player had confessed to his crimes, state media IRNA reported.

“I really fear they will execute Majid”

Previous investigations by CNN found that prisoners were subjected to torture and sexual assault. Human rights groups say torture-tainted “confessions” were used against defendants in sham trials.

Still, Iranian officials defended the trials. In recent days, an Iranian MP has said he believes those involved in the current unrest should be executed within 5-10 days of their arrest. THE CNN received no official response from Iranian authorities to its request for comment.

Another man, Majid Kazemi, was also accused of involvement in the murder of three security forces in Isfahan, shows the document obtained by CNN and 1500Tasvir. Kazemi told others that he was coerced into confessing his involvement in criminal acts during interrogation.

“He didn’t confess to doing any of the things he was accused of, so they severely beat him,” a source close to Kazemi told CNN.

A prisoner released from the facility where Majid is being held told the source that his arm, leg and nose were broken.

Majid’s court session is scheduled to take place during the holiday season, the source told CNN.

“This will coincide with a time when the international community is observing these holy days, and the regime of the Islamic Republic will take advantage of being away from the watchful eyes of the world.

“I really fear they will execute Majid.”

In a recording from inside a prison in Tehran, inmate Sahand Noor Mahammadzade talks about how he was coerced into confessing.

Screenshot of Nika Shakharami’s Instagram account before it was deactivated. THE CNN hid commenters’ usernames and profile pictures to protect their privacy.

“The judge who was there told me to say that I don’t protest (obtain) and gave me three pages that I signed, while I wasn’t even allowed to read any.

“The second time they took me in for questioning, my accusations had completely changed. The second charge made against me contained the term ‘moharabe’.”

“I was told to go to the prosecutor’s office and on entering he said, ‘It’s evident from his face. Run this one!’”

In a hastily photographed document from inside the Isfahan regional court obtained and verified by 1500Tasvir and CNN it is revealed that at least 10 people in Isfahan have also been accused of Moharabe (a war against God), spreading corruption on Earth, and other charges – all of which carry the death penalty.

The charge, introduced after the 1979 revolution, is regularly applied against people accused of committing acts against the government.

Various other witness statements and official documents submitted by families, and jointly authenticated by the CNN and 1500Tasvir paint a picture of how the Iranian regime is rushing the judicial process.

Families and activists say only court-appointed lawyers can represent the defendants, who are also denied the right to appeal.