A Change.org petition started by Shayan Modarres and Niaz Kasravi has taken off and is nearing it’s goal of 25,000 signatures. The petition is demanding that the DOJ investigate an admitted white supremacist gang member with a federal hate crime for the stabbing death of Iranian American college student Shayan Mazroei.
Background: As previously reported by The Iranian, Shayan Mazroei, a 22-year-old student was stabbed on September 7, 2015 in Laguna, Niguel, CA, by Craig Tanber, an admitted white-supremacist. Shayan later died of his wounds at the hospital.
Where’s the justice? “Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has not only failed to charge Shayan’s murder as a hate crime, but has also not charged Elizabeth Thornburg with any crime at all, despite her involvement in the events that led up to the fatal stabbing, as well as her driving Mr. Tanber away from the crime scene.”
Why this matters: Under President Trump’s watch, anti-Iranian sentiment and hate crimes against Iranians-Americans and other people from majority Muslim countries have seen a staggering rise across the country. As Modarres notes in the petition, “It is more important now than ever to prosecute hate crimes as hate crimes under the law.”
Take action: At the time of this posting, 22,695 people have signed the petition. We encourage you to add your name to the list by going here.
Update: As of 8:27 PM PST 27,756 have signed the petition.
The Iranian‘s past coverage of this story can be found below:
UPDATE: Orange County Pub Ruled Not Liable For The Murder Of Shayan Mazroei
