The Islamic Republic of Murder and Tyranny

The Islamic regime is leading a brutal crackdown against Iranians in the aftermath of the 12-day war, initiated by Israel, and the United States’ attacks on nuclear facilities in Iranian territory.

The Islamic regime in Iran has executed 105 people so far this month, with many more slated to be executed in the coming weeks, per the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) and the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran.

In a press release, the CHRI said that “scores of political prisoners will be executed in Iran without an international outcry.”

This comes amid a massive crackdown in the aftermath of the 12-day war, a brief but extraordinarily intense conflict between Israel and Iran. Israel initiated it with widespread airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. The Islamic Republic responded with missile and drone attacks. Over 1,000 Iranians were killed (at least 436 were civilians, according to the well-respected Human Rights Activists News Agency), and nearly 5,000 were injured. Twenty-seven Israeli civilians were killed, and thousands were hospitalized, according to the Times of Israel.

Later, when the United States joined Israel in bombing by launching short but significant attacks on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear facilities, Iranian activists and dissidents warned of severe consequences.

After the regime faces global humiliation and, as a result, is unsteady, it often turns its aggression toward Iranians in order to shut down dissent and tighten its grip on the country.

Their warnings came true. Thousands have been arrested by Islamic Republic of Iran intelligence officials (some have since been released, but many remain in custody).

If you follow a few or more Iranians on social media, it is likely that at least one of them has a family member or loved one in the crosshairs right now.

They remain silent not out of a desire to capitulate to the regime, but because they don’t want to put their family in further harm.

The Islamic Republic, following its usual playbook, is charging people in Iran with “crimes” like “insulting the Prophet,” “insulting the Supreme Leader,” “corruption on Earth,” and “enmity against God.”

These are the charges activists, protesters, and freedom fighters face after standing up for their rights and the human rights of all Iranians.

As always, those accused of these “crimes” don’t have even the most basic access to their attorneys. Lawyers, even regime-appointed ones, are repeatedly undermined. Prisoners are tortured physically and psychologically, and the regime, like all authoritarian states, engages in multigenerational punishment by threatening their families into silence.

Activists, freedom fighters, and even ordinary Iranians who took no active role in opposing the regime have been held incommunicado for days or weeks without access to lawyers or family.

They have been subjected to coercive interrogations and forced confessions. Trials are then fast-tracked through the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Revolutionary Courts, special tribunals designed to handle political, ideological, and national security cases.

Prosecutors rely on vaguely defined charges, and sentences are severe and disproportionate.

This cycle of oppression has been the exhausting and painful reality for Iranians since 1979 (the Shah also had an authoritarian regime, my family has suffered under both, but nothing compares to the brutality of the Islamic regime).

For the past 46 years, Iran has been occupied by the Islamic Republic, a brutal theocratic regime that a vast majority of Iranians do not agree with, don’t want in power, and that does not represent our values.

Our values are the ones many of you already associate with Iranians in your lives: deep courtesy and politeness; loyalty and fierce devotion to loved ones; generosity without transaction; universal curiosity and openness; resilience and humor amid hardship; incredible hospitality; and kindness.

Everywhere I go, when people find out I’m Iranian, they smile and speak excitedly about an Iranian in their life: a colleague, a friend, a neighbor. Over the years, I’ve heard countless stories of breathtaking generosity, astounding loyalty, and warmth and hospitality rooted in love rather than obligation.

But when I mention that I’m Iranian, it is also met with sadness and questions, so many questions. And often, misinformation. Even well-meaning people sometimes carry impressions shaped by the regime rather than the reality of who Iranians are.

These false impressions mean Iranians are misrepresented even in areas where they excel.

Take one example. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met who believe Iranian women are banned from education. The reality is that Iranian women are among the most educated in the world. They make up a majority of college graduates in Iran, and a majority of STEM graduates.

This is a credit to the women of Iran, not the regime. Imagine what they could do if they weren’t subjected to gender apartheid.

Iranians are tired of being associated with cruelty, violence, theocracy, bigotry, and gender apartheid. They are tired of being isolated from the rest of the world, a world where they thrive whenever they are given the chance to enter it.

Using your platform, no matter how small, to shine a light on these atrocities is the most important thing you can do if you wish to support the people of Iran. The regime and its tyranny thrive when the world’s attention isn’t focused on it.

---

If you’re not the type who likes to subscribe, you can also make a one-time donation to support this work by clicking here: make a one time donation.

For other ways to support my work like Venmo, etc, click here: Other Ways To Support My Work

---

Please follow me on Twitter (X), Instagram, Facebook, Threads, BlueSky, and TikTok.

If you have a tip you can contact me at 310-795-2497 or currentyashar@gmail.com. I am available on Signal, WhatsApp, and Confide. My direct messages are also open on Twitter and Instagram.