Human rights activists say it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen this year in terms of opposition protests. Iranian security forces confronted continued protests in May by university students, and they are gearing up for more protests in the coming weeks. Leila Milani of Human Rights Activists in Iran said last week at the National Press Club that the Iranian government plans to empty gymnasiums and other facilities to make room for new prisoners.
According to Rudi Bakhtiar, communications director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Iran executes more prisoners than any other country in the world in proportion to its population. At a special ceremony in the Northern Virginia Baha’i Center on May 23, Bakhtiar urged people to continue speaking out for their loved ones in Iran who face persecution.
“The human rights situation in Iran is as dire as it has ever been,” said Bakhtiar. “We cannot be silent about what’s going on.”
