Hours after hanging 12 people, Tehran urges Singapore to halt Iranian's execution
Iran's foreign ministry called on Singapore not to proceed with the execution of an Iranian convict, hours after twelve Iranians were hanged in prisons across Iran.
Iran's foreign ministry called on Singapore not to proceed with the execution of an Iranian convict, hours after twelve Iranians were hanged in prisons across Iran.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a phone call with his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan urged the southeast Asian country to reconsider the execution of Masoud Rahimi Mehrzad for "humanitarian considerations".
Rahimi, a Singaporean-Iranian citizen who is expected to be executed on Friday, was arrested 14 years ago in Singapore on charges of drug trafficking. He was 20 when arrested for possessing 31 grams of diamorphine in Singapore and sentenced to death, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) organization said.
"Executions have never prevented drug-related crimes, and we hope that Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the President of Singapore, will issue a pardon to save Masoud's life," Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the IHR director, said on Thursday in an effort to save Masoud.
Born in Singapore to a Singaporean mother and an Iranian father, he was taken to Iran as a child following his parents’ divorce. He returned to Singapore at the age of 17 to complete his mandatory military service, three years before his arrest.
Preaching what not practiced at home
The Iranian foreign minister's call for the reconsideration of Rahimi's execution came hours after Iran executed at least 12 people on illicit drug and murder charges.
Four prisoners were executed in Qazvin Central Prison, four in the prisons of Yazd, Qom and Shahre Kord, three in Shiraz, and one in Nahavand, according to reports by human rights organizations. The 12 prisoners were hanged on Thursday morning for illicit drug and murder charges.
In recent months, Iranian authorities have increasingly resorted to the death penalty despite global outcry. In its November 21 report, HRANA documented at least 133 executions since the past month, averaging more than four per day. This surge follows another statistic from the IHR, which recorded at least 166 executions in October.
HRANA’s reports indicate an average of 811 executions occurred between October 2023 and October 2024, encompassing both political detainees and ordinary prisoners.
The talks scheduled for November 29 were announced following a resolution by the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, condemning Tehran's lack of transparency and violations of its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
While the United States has stated it will not participate in the November 29 talks, some Iranian observers, including Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini, a former member of the Iranian parliament's foreign policy and national security committee, have expressed skepticism. Meshkini remarked, "Europeans do not make decisions on Iran's nuclear program independent of the United States. Their foreign policy aligns with US policies and priorities."
Meshkini warned that Iran should not enter the talks without a clear objective, adding that Tehran should avoid "negotiations for the sake of negotiating."
The hardline daily Kayhan, closely aligned with the office of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has emphasized that "while the talks are essential, the Pezeshkian administration should not be involved in the negotiations." Kayhan criticized the government for ignoring "the Europeans' hostile actions against Iran and the IAEA's recent resolution, which was drafted by the very countries Iran plans to negotiate with."
The paper further accused the administration of "repeated retreats" from its positions while the West continues to disregard the Pezeshkian administration's "optimistic overtures." It also noted that European nations have failed to acknowledge Pezeshkian's victory in Iran's presidential election. Kayhan warned that some might view the government's approach as "a treacherous disregard for past experiences that have harmed Iran's national interests."
The daily characterized "negotiations with Europe as a mistake" and reiterated that talks with the EU-3 are bound to fail.
The upcoming negotiations are set to take place two years after the last round of talks between Iran and European nations. However, this is not a high-level meeting, as deputy foreign ministers are scheduled to discuss "a range of bilateral, regional, and international issues," according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
The broad scope of the talks suggests that the agenda extends beyond Iran's nuclear program. Meanwhile, the moderate news outlet Khabar Online described the talks as an effort by Iran to reduce tensions with Europe.
Iranian media have also lauded the role of former Majles Speaker Ali Larijani, now a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Khamenei, in shaping diplomatic developments with Europe and the Middle East. Larijani was the first to propose negotiating with Europe and the United States in recent weeks. Observers have also noted his involvement in brokering the cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel.
Politician Ali Mohammad Namazi told Nameh News website that Larijani went to Syria and Lebanon with an important mandate from Khamenei and conducted some successful negotiations. Namazi said that Larijani's political comeback was significant and meaningful. He added that what brought him back to the forefront of Iranian politics included the prospect of a change in relations between Iran and the United States, and the tensions in Lebanon and Gaza that brought Iran very close to an all-out war with Israel.
He highlighted Larijani's experience as a former secretary of the Supreme Council of National Security from 2005 to 2007 and suggested that Pezeshkian, who maintains good relations with Larijani, should consider asking him to assume that role once again for Iran.
Reformist figure Mohammad Ali Abtahi echoed this sentiment, describing Larijani's recent mission to Lebanon as marking "a strategic shift in Iran's foreign policy" in the region. Similarly, another reformist, Mohammad Atrianfar, argued that Larijani should be reappointed as the secretary of Iran's Supreme Council of National Security, citing his pragmatic approach and his potential to facilitate the resumption of ties between Iran and the United States.