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Conflict in the Middle East
Original poster

reported execution of an Iranian teenager for merely sheltering protesters

88 replies

Ihatetomatoes · 20/07/2026 14:22

I saw this posted on social media. Doesn't seem to be much focus on individuals like him, brave enough to raise his voice, executed for sheltering others. 😥

🚨TRAGIC: While the world focuses on other conflicts, the Islamic Republic of Iran executed a 19-year-old boy today.

His name is Erfan Esfandiari. He was his parents’ only child.

He did not kill anyone. He did not carry a weapon. His only “crime,” according to the regime, was opening his door to shelter protesters fleeing from security forces.

Erfan was one of 12 young men charged in the Alikhani Square case in Isfahan after being arrested during the January 2026 uprising. Yesterday, all 12 were moved to quarantine. Today, the regime hanged him.

This is a government so afraid of a generation that refuses to stay silent that it executes teenagers for showing basic compassion.

Say his name. The regime is trying to erase him. His grieving parents are left with nothing — not even the freedom to mourn openly.

OP posts:
MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 18:15

Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 18:14

Define 'legit' in an Islamic theocratic-republican system of government. Backed by the Supreme leader perhaps 🤔

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now thats where you get the oxford university style word play where different words can be analysed to mean different things

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 18:14

Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 18:09

No empathy at all then 🤷

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even if i had empathy how does that make or alter what happened ?

Original poster
Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 18:14

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 18:07

history shows they may not be legit protests for themselves

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Define 'legit' in an Islamic theocratic-republican system of government. Backed by the Supreme leader perhaps 🤔

OP posts:
Original poster
Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 18:09

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 18:07

history shows they may not be legit protests for themselves

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No empathy at all then 🤷

OP posts:
Original poster
Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 18:08

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 18:06

Notable Movements with Allegations or Evidence of Foreign Influence

  • Bulldozer Revolution (Serbia, 2000): Mass protests overthrew Slobodan Milošević; domestic opposition groups received financial and logistical training from Western organizations and governments.
  • Rose Revolution (Georgia, 2003): Demonstrations forced Eduard Shevardnadze to resign; local activist student groups like Kmara received funding from foreign democracy-promotion foundations.
  • Orange Revolution (Ukraine, 2004): Street protests erupted over rigged election runoffs; Western governments provided open political backing and financial aid to civil society groups.
  • Tulip Revolution (Kyrgyzstan, 2005): Overthrew Askar Akayev; accused by regional authorities (like Russia) of being engineered by Western diplomatic and financial conduits.
  • Cedar Revolution (Lebanon, 2005): Anti-Syrian protests in Beirut were heavily amplified and accelerated by joint United States and French diplomatic pressure forcing a Syrian troop withdrawal.
  • Arab Spring (Middle East, 2010–2012): Widespread regional revolts where various entrenched regimes blamed foreign intelligence plots, and external military interventions explicitly shaped outcomes (such as in Libya).
  • Euromaidan (Ukraine, 2013–2014): Anti-government protests led to a regime change; Russia characterized the movement as a Western-backed coup, while Western nations framed it as a native democratic uprising supported by diplomatic visits and sanctions

Any particularly for the country we are actually discussing? Iran? That's what we were discussing.

Sadly, that's where the young people were shot during protests and are now being executed.

OP posts:
MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 18:07

Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 18:07

Glad you don't support executions.

Wow so little sympathy for young people who appear to want more for their country and their future.

Some countries are so harsh, almost mediaeval in their punishments.

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history shows they may not be legit protests for themselves

Original poster
Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 18:07

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 18:04

i dont support and executions but if thats the risks they take then they know the risks

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Glad you don't support executions.

Wow so little sympathy for young people who appear to want more for their country and their future.

Some countries are so harsh, almost mediaeval in their punishments.

OP posts:
MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 18:06

Notable Movements with Allegations or Evidence of Foreign Influence

  • Bulldozer Revolution (Serbia, 2000): Mass protests overthrew Slobodan Milošević; domestic opposition groups received financial and logistical training from Western organizations and governments.
  • Rose Revolution (Georgia, 2003): Demonstrations forced Eduard Shevardnadze to resign; local activist student groups like Kmara received funding from foreign democracy-promotion foundations.
  • Orange Revolution (Ukraine, 2004): Street protests erupted over rigged election runoffs; Western governments provided open political backing and financial aid to civil society groups.
  • Tulip Revolution (Kyrgyzstan, 2005): Overthrew Askar Akayev; accused by regional authorities (like Russia) of being engineered by Western diplomatic and financial conduits.
  • Cedar Revolution (Lebanon, 2005): Anti-Syrian protests in Beirut were heavily amplified and accelerated by joint United States and French diplomatic pressure forcing a Syrian troop withdrawal.
  • Arab Spring (Middle East, 2010–2012): Widespread regional revolts where various entrenched regimes blamed foreign intelligence plots, and external military interventions explicitly shaped outcomes (such as in Libya).
  • Euromaidan (Ukraine, 2013–2014): Anti-government protests led to a regime change; Russia characterized the movement as a Western-backed coup, while Western nations framed it as a native democratic uprising supported by diplomatic visits and sanctions
Original poster
Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 18:05

It's difficult to be sure of much.in a country like Iran where people can be executed or shot in the streets so easily.

You appear to think the protests aren't genuine. Is that correct and if so any proof of claims?

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MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 18:04

Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 17:59

Could you share your examples for interest purposes?

Are you saying you support the executions of those young people then?

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i dont support and executions but if thats the risks they take then they know the risks

Original poster
Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 18:02

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 17:36

yes but are they ? can we be sure that they are only protesting for themselves and the true answer is no we cannot

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It's difficult to be sure of much.in a country like Iran where people can be executed or shot in the streets so easily.

You appear to think the protests aren't genuine. Is that correct and if so any proof of claims?

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Original poster
Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 17:59

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 17:35

all im saying is can we be certain they are protesting for themselves only ? and history is on my side for that point, and i have concrete examples

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Could you share your examples for interest purposes?

Are you saying you support the executions of those young people then?

OP posts:
MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 17:36

vintermadness · 08/08/2026 17:11

You don't think the Iranian people are capable of deciding to protest on their own?

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yes but are they ? can we be sure that they are only protesting for themselves and the true answer is no we cannot

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 17:35

Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 16:39

Could you be a little clearer? Are you saying that you agree with the executions because you 'think' someone else 'maybe' another country 'might' be behind the protests or 'might' have encouraged them.

Sounds very conspiracy theory. So if that conspiracy theory was correct then the young people should be executed?

You do realise that many young people were shot protesting and now others are being executed following prosecutions. Does that not seem 'a little' harsh to you?

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all im saying is can we be certain they are protesting for themselves only ? and history is on my side for that point, and i have concrete examples

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 17:34

Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 16:41

Raising concerns over the way people are treated but always be the right thing to do. Looking the other way feels inhumane.

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true but then when they fightback on our influence ? how then does that help our people

vintermadness · 08/08/2026 17:11

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 13:11

not everyone has democracy and also whos behind the protests etc, sometimes its other countries trying to alter the ruling govt of different countries for their own purposes so just because they protest does not mean they are not influenced by other nations

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You don't think the Iranian people are capable of deciding to protest on their own?

Original poster
Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 16:41

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 13:09

people compalin when the west trys to rule the world, and when we do intervene we then get 9/11 as a result so whats the answer ?

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Raising concerns over the way people are treated but always be the right thing to do. Looking the other way feels inhumane.

OP posts:
Original poster
Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 16:39

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 13:11

not everyone has democracy and also whos behind the protests etc, sometimes its other countries trying to alter the ruling govt of different countries for their own purposes so just because they protest does not mean they are not influenced by other nations

Show quote history

Could you be a little clearer? Are you saying that you agree with the executions because you 'think' someone else 'maybe' another country 'might' be behind the protests or 'might' have encouraged them.

Sounds very conspiracy theory. So if that conspiracy theory was correct then the young people should be executed?

You do realise that many young people were shot protesting and now others are being executed following prosecutions. Does that not seem 'a little' harsh to you?

OP posts:
MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 13:11

Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 08:22

Speaking out against the regime.

BBC has a programme worth watching airing the voices of Iranians living in Iran. Worth a watch. If you can get BBC news channel have a look. There is film footage of protesters, many young people, being shot for protesting.

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not everyone has democracy and also whos behind the protests etc, sometimes its other countries trying to alter the ruling govt of different countries for their own purposes so just because they protest does not mean they are not influenced by other nations

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 08/08/2026 13:09

Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 08:29

"Iranian authorities killed thousands of people during anti-government protests in January, Iran’s worst domestic unrest in decades."

They arrested many more with various charges issued for the protesters and now gradually these brave young people who want better for their own country are executed.

Should we look away and ignore?

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people compalin when the west trys to rule the world, and when we do intervene we then get 9/11 as a result so whats the answer ?

Original poster
Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 08:29

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 07/08/2026 16:42

but what were the protestors guilty of ?

"Iranian authorities killed thousands of people during anti-government protests in January, Iran’s worst domestic unrest in decades."

They arrested many more with various charges issued for the protesters and now gradually these brave young people who want better for their own country are executed.

Should we look away and ignore?

OP posts:
Original poster
Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 08:26

Ihatetomatoes · 07/08/2026 16:40

Sadly, it doesn't capture attention.

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There was a clip of a new BBC programme which airs the voices of people in Iran, their struggles, protests against the regime and how they were squashed and many killed.

However, the hope for freedom didn't come. A quote from something like, 'I'm trapped in a building with my abusers with wolves outside ' I don't recall exactly the sentence. Meaning stuck with repressive regime but also being in danger from US attack.

OP posts:
Original poster
Ihatetomatoes · 08/08/2026 08:22

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 07/08/2026 16:42

but what were the protestors guilty of ?

Speaking out against the regime.

BBC has a programme worth watching airing the voices of Iranians living in Iran. Worth a watch. If you can get BBC news channel have a look. There is film footage of protesters, many young people, being shot for protesting.

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keeptalkinghappytalk · 07/08/2026 16:48

Dreadful to hear. Erfan and so many like him assassinated by the corrupt despotic Iranian regime. The UN is alarmed at the executions... just words. The criminal ' government' that kills its own children needs bringing down.

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 07/08/2026 16:42

but what were the protestors guilty of ?

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