Safwan Mason

ex-muslim freethinker, humanist, rationalist, skeptic, cross-cultural misfit/marginal

[Mario Nawfal @MarioNawfal]

🇮🇷 IRAN'S CHILD BRIDE EXECUTION SYSTEM ISN'T BROKEN. IT'S WORKING EXACTLY AS DESIGNED.

December 3: Iran executed Rana Faraj Oghli, 24, in Tabriz Central Prison. Forced marriage at 16 to a man 19 years her senior.

Years of domestic violence. Killed him.

Arrested 2 years ago, sentenced to death in proceedings that lacked basic fair-trial guarantees. In court, she told officials she didn't want a lawyer.

Made one request: "to be freed from a life that was like death."

State media didn't acknowledge her execution. Standard practice when running a death machine.

With Rana's execution, 57 women have been executed in Iran in 2025. Last year: 34. Since 2007: at least 320 women executed.

Between 2010–2024: 241 women executed, 114 sentenced to qisas for homicide. Majority killed their husband or intimate partner.

Many were domestic violence victims, child marriage victims, or acted in self-defense.

Under President Masoud Pezeshkian (16 months in office): 2,521 executions. 2024 total: 975 executions, highest in over two decades, 17% increase from 2023. Sharp rise after Pezeshkian's appointment in latter half of year.

Now meet Goli Koukhan. She's next.

Forced into marriage at 12 to her cousin. Gave birth at 13 without medical care. At 18, after years of physical and sexual abuse, arrested for killing her husband during domestic dispute.

In May 2018: husband was beating their 5-year-old son. She called a relative for help. Fight broke out. Husband died.

7 years on death row. 25 years old, undocumented Baluch woman, held in Gorgan Central Prison. During interrogations, no lawyer. Illiterate at the time.

Pressured into confession that formed basis of death sentence.

Execution scheduled for December unless she raises 10 billion tomans ($85,000–100,000) in blood money. Amount considerably higher than recommended rate and far beyond her reach, especially as undocumented woman rejected by her family.

When she escaped to her family's house asking for help, her father told her:

"I gave my daughter away in a white dress, the only way you can return is wrapped in a shroud."

Over 7 years in prison, Goli learned to read and write. Learned carpet weaving, leatherwork, marquetry. Uses skills to earn money and cope with emotional void. Prison authorities facilitate the few times she's seen her son.

December 3: UN human rights experts urged Iran to halt execution.

"Koukhan's case exemplifies systemic gender bias faced by women victims of child marriage and domestic violence within Iran's criminal justice system.

Carrying out execution would constitute grave violation of international human rights law."

Iran's response: silence.

The mechanics matter because this isn't random brutality - it's infrastructure:

Legal marriage age: 13 (younger with male guardian and judge approval)

Domestic violence protections: none. Girls and women lack legal protection against domestic violence

Divorce rights: extremely limited, making escape from abusive marriages nearly impossible

Qisas system: retribution-in-kind, victim's family can demand execution unless they accept compensation. Blood money amounts set arbitrarily - often several times official rate, making it impossible for poor women to pay

Trial standards: courts fail to consider sustained abuse, age at marriage, domestic violence, lack of legal representation, illiteracy

This is a conveyor belt: girl forced into marriage at 12–16, abused for years, kills husband in self-defense, arrested, no lawyer, illiterate, coerced confession, sentenced to qisas, can't pay blood money, family abandons her, seven years on death row, executed.

Repeat 320 times since 2007.

UN experts can issue statements. International outcry can build. None of it stops the machine.

Dark prediction: Goli Koukhan will be executed in December. She won't raise $85,000–100,000.

Her family abandoned her. She's undocumented, Baluch, poor, female - every disadvantage stacked. UN statements won't save her because Iran executes people despite international pressure, not because it lacks pressure.

After Goli, another woman is next. The system produces them automatically: child marriage + no divorce rights + no domestic violence protections + qisas + impossible blood money = execution.

Analysts say trend has sharply accelerated since President Pezeshkian took office. The "reformist" president. That tells you everything about what "reform" means in Tehran.

The only thing that stops conveyor belts is dismantling them. Everything else is counting bodies and filing reports.

Iran isn't executing child brides despite its legal system. It's executing them because of its legal system.

That system was designed this way. And it's working perfectly.

Sources: WNcri, OHCHR, National Council of Resistance of Iran, Iran Human Rights, FDD, Center for Human Rights in Iran, Iran International, Yahoo!, Daily Mail

[Kashif Chaudhry @KashifMD]

Mamdani’s victory in the most Jewish city in America — despite a relentless smear campaign by militant Zionists — is a clear referendum on the lie that criticizing Israel equals antisemitism.

New Yorkers rejected the antisemitic notion that opposing genocide is the same as hating Jews. They understand that denouncing a genocidal regime is not hate — it’s a moral imperative.

Bravo, New York. 🗽✊🏼

[Masih Alinejad @AlinejadMasih]

Iranians are outraged as the regime has started to execute protesters and prisoners.

While some media are trying to sell the idea that a so-called reformist has won the election in Iran are urging negotiations with this brutal government, the regime has begun executing innocent people. Today, they executed Reza Rasai one of the innocent protesters involved in the “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising in Iran, and many others are at risk of execution. The silence of the international community will put the lives of all these innocent prisoners at risk.

The criticism aimed at France for the Olympic opening ceremony received more attention than the death sentences issued against three women in Iran over the past two weeks. Apparently, an opening ceremony is more scandalous than state executions.

I urge the international community and media to amplify the voices of the families of these innocent prisoners who are on death row. Their cries for justice must be heard, and urgent action is needed to save their lives.
#StopExecutionsInIran

[Masih Alinejad @AlinejadMasih]

It is shocking, heartbreaking, and an alarm for other political prisoners who are at risk of execution:

Reza Rasai, one of the brave protesters who took to the streets after the brutal killing of Mahsa Amini, was executed today. Like Mahsa, Reza was Kurdish and hailed from the city of Kermanshah. In a devastating act of silence, his family was coldly informed, “You cannot bury his body in the city; you must bury him on a remote road.” Despite this attempt to erase his legacy, Reza has become an eternal symbol of the Woman, Life, Freedom revolution in the hearts of millions.

The pain in my heart deepens as I witness headlines celebrating a so-called reformist president’s election in Iran, while the cries of the families of brave souls like Korkor, Mahmoud Mehrabi, Sharifeh Mohammadi, Bakhshan Azizi, Nasim Gholami, and many others facing imminent execution remain unheard. A government that mercilessly executes innocent people for the simple act of peaceful protest is beyond reform. This regime has declared a war against its own people, and the global community’s silence only endangers the lives of those next in line for execution.

The world must not remain silent. The international community, human rights organizations, and all individuals who believe in justice and humanity must rise and condemn these atrocities. The execution of Reza Rasai is not just an attack on one individual; it is an assault on the universal values of freedom and human rights.

Every voice raised in solidarity can help save a life. We must demand an end to these brutal executions and hold the regime in Iran accountable for its crimes against humanity. Silence is complicity. Speak out, stand up, and take action now before it is too late for those who remain in the regime’s crosshairs.
#StopExecutionsInIran

[Sherif Gaber @SherifGaber]

Urgent: Today I've been sentenced to another 5 years in prison, bringing the total sentence against me to 9 years in prison for criticizing Islam.

If you know a way to help, please don't hesitate to contact me. I need urgent help.

https://t.co/Wr4zJ5EUV9

[Safwan Mason @nzexmuslim]

@sqquelch @DuckDuckGo Ditto here for last couple of days.

[Florian Camiade 🗝️ @FCamiade]

7 pro tips for ChatGPT.

(Are you sure you know all?)

Here are the 7 tips you need to know🧵:

[🇺🇲🇵🇰ناجیہ احتشام @najia_ahtisham]

#یہ_ہیں_پاکستان_کے_زوال_کے_اسباب
👇👇👇👇👇

[Ali A. Rizvi 🇨🇦 @aliamjadrizvi]

If you had the power to stop the killing of thousands of children in the Middle East—would you?

THAT’S the difference between you and God.

[Robert Graham @robertgraham]

I need to upgrade from a Macbook Air x86. Do I go with a Macbook M3 14 inch? or Macbook Air M2 15 inch? I've decided that after 20 years of a 13 screen that I'm ready to go up a notch. I'm leaning toward the M2 Air because the screen is larger but it still ways less than the M3 Pro. I want a minimum of 24gigs of RAM and a 2TB, and they come out to roughly the same price.

[Masih Alinejad @AlinejadMasih]

Sevgili Türk dostlarımız. Yarın çok geç olabilir. Türkiye’ye sığınan ve laik bir İran’ı savunduğu için İran’dan kaçmak zorunda olan Shilan Mirzaei her an İran’a iade edilme tehlikesiyle karşı karşıya. Shilan, Türkiye’deki İran büyükelçiliği tarafından tehdit edilmiş ve İran hükümetinin baskıları sonucu bugün Türk polisi tarafından tutuklanmıştır.

İran’a iadesi onun için felaket olacaktır. Molla rejiminin bir demokrasi aktivistini daha tutuklayıp ölüme maruz bırakmasına izin vermeyin. Desteğinize ihtiyacımız var

[Assim Alhakeem @Assimalhakeem]

This is not how istikhara works and your dreams have nothing to do with it

[Anton Gerashchenko @Gerashchenko_en]

YLE (Finnish broadcasting company) published photos and videos of Putin on vacation in Finland in the early 1990s.

Have you seen these photos yet?
"The future great geostrategist, sex symbol and dream of all Russian women."

And also the future murderer, international terrorist and maniac.

By the way, it is rumored that while working in the secretariat of the Leningrad UKGB, Putin's colleagues called him "Moth" and "Little Rat".

[derek guy @dieworkwear]

My friend @andrew3sixteen of @3sixteen and @selfedge (two of my favorite denim companies) demonstrates this technique in a @Complex video. This repair is a little easier—and less costly—if you get your jeans repaired early, before the hole gets too big.

https://t.co/DY7zZN6BcV

[IranWire @IranWireEnglish]

In the aftermath of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, human rights lawyer Marzieh Mohebi was arrested and a court granted authorities the power to confiscate her properties – in violation of her citizenship rights. 

https://t.co/oNCU6MhFTm #truth #IranRevolution

[Fariborz Pooya @fariborzpooya]

#Toomaj_Salehi Iranian rapper who has many protest songs and led the young to stand for #WomanLifeFreedom; following his arrest, has suffered many months of solitary confinement; now behind closed doors about to be given death sentence. The world must protest! #FreeToomaj

[Autism Capital 🧩 @AutismCapital]

How do you charge someone with 37 charges? Did they blow coke in the DA’s office and start pointing at charges while shaking like Beavis being like “YEAH! THAT ONE! DO THAT ONE!”

[Masih Alinejad @AlinejadMasih]

Criticizing Islam can get you killed in Iran. Today 2 Iranian men have been executed for the crime of “insulting Quran and the Prophet, apostasy”. Islamic Republic is ISIS but with oil and that is why the West is still legitimizing this barbaric regime. Otherwise the executions of Yousef Mehrad and Sadrollah Fazeli-Zare must be condoned by all the leaders of democratic countries and the West must recall their ambassadors.
Unfortunately the West is more keen to get a nuclear deal rather than supporting the young generation in Iran who want to have freedom of expression.

[Safwan Mason @nzexmuslim]

@AlimNour2 @TheHarrisSultan There is a similar curse, but the circumstances and curse itself are different. The one in Genesis 9.20 to 27 does not say anything about skin color. https://t.co/FPOjnmEs0N