U.S. 'Condemns' Executions Of Protester In Iran, Pledges 'Action'

The United States on Wednesday condemned the Iranian regime's use of the death penalty to "punish people for what we believe to be just exercising their human rights," as the State Department put it, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"The U.S. will continue to take actions to support the people of Iran in practical ways, both seen and unseen, in close coordination with our allies and partners in the region as well," Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told a daily press briefing when asked by TURAN about Iran's latest execution of protester Mohammad Ghobadlou, who was murdered this Monday.

Ghobadlou, 23, who reportedly had a mental health condition, was arrested in September 2022 during the height of the “Woman Life Freedom” demonstration in Tehran in connection with the death of an official at a protest in Tehran.  He was charged with “corruption on Earth” and arbitrarily executed this Tuesday following a process and ruling shrouded in secrecy.

"There have been... widespread reports of torture, forced confessions and restrictions on legal counsel. All of this, we believe, undermine any shred of credibility in the decisions handed down by Iranian courts," Patel said.

When it comes to holding the Iranian regime accountable for its malign activities, including its repression of its own people, "we will not hesitate to take action," the deputy spokesperson added.  "We have a pretty clear track record of doing so."