Myopic Fact Checking on 15,000 Iranians

tl;dr: No, Iran's "parliament" didn't just vote to execute anyone: That's because they didn't have to as all the protesters face death sentences anyway.

Any "fact check" failing to mention this amounts to covering for Iran's illegitimate rulers.

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Yesterday evening, a story to the effect that the Iranian parliament had voted overwhelmingly to execute 15,000 Iranian protesters caught fire. I myself retweeted it.

Iran, the youth had become more and more daring & violent towards the Mullahs as the protests continues

Watch to the end. pic.twitter.com/WNj1mdmO9t

— Adam Albilya (@AdamAlbilya) November 1, 2022

Whereas until this happened, it was difficult to find much in legacy media outlets about the protests, now it is easy, with "fact checkers" offering a full-throated debunking of the story. Take MSNBC:

Celebrities such as Peter Frampton took to Twitter and shared images which read - Iran sentences 15,000 protestors to death as a 'hard lesson' for all rebels. "Why isn’t this the lead story worldwide??? It would be a crime against humanity!!!Please add any superlative you can!!!" said Frampton.

A quick fact check showed that the claims are based on 'unsubstantiated' images and media reports, some of which said that Iran has issued mass execution for over 15,000 Protestors. Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that only one protestor has been sentenced to death so far by Tehran.

"A Revolutionary Court in Tehran found that the defendant, who was not named, had set fire to a government facility and was guilty of "enmity against God", state agency reported. According to the BBC, which cited a Norway-based Iran human rights group, 20 people are facing charges 'punishable by death' in Iran. [bold added]

Another report elaborates on why the one was sentenced to death: "'waging war against God' and 'corruption on Earth.'" It also notes that all the imprisoned protesters do in fact face death, and obiter dictum explains the alleged vote tally in favor of execution:

"All the detainees who were arrested during the protests are in danger of being sentenced to death by Iranian judicial system," the [Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights] said.

They referenced an apparent letter put out by 227 Iranian parliamentarians last week that called on the judiciary to carry out death sentences against those arrested during the protests.

So, no: The 227 -- some of whom disavowed the letter -- did not, in fact just vote to execute anyone. But they are hardly innocent: They don't have to, because Iran, being a theocracy, punishes crimes against its imaginary ruler with death.

I stand corrected of a factual error, but I will have been glad of my error if it helps draw attention to the fact that thousands of Iranians do in fact face death in their quest for freedom.

I salute their courage and I wish them well.

-- CAV