Hatam Qaderi, a university professor, challenged cleric Aboudi, the deputy for cultural affairs in Khamenei’s judiciary, during a debate about the execution of a student in Shahrud for allegedly spying for Israel. Qaderi questioned how a student could have the resources to be a spy and asked if Russian spies operate in Iran, highlighting the hypocrisy of the accusations.

The Iranian regime frequently employs the death penalty to instill fear and suppress dissent.

Human Rights Organization of Iran condemned the execution of Aqil Keshavarz, stating it was carried out without a fair trial and based on confessions obtained under torture. They labeled the execution an extrajudicial killing and demanded accountability from Khamenei and other officials, asserting that such executions aim to intimidate Iranian youth, who are viewed as a significant threat to the regime.