Hesam Alaeddin, a 40-year-old father, and Sassan Azadvar Joonqani, a vibrant 21-year-old karate champion, are now names etched in a growing list of silenced voices within Iran.
Alaeddin’s alleged crime was seeking access to a free and open internet, utilizing Starlink technology to bypass the regime’s suffocating control. He was reportedly tortured before being brutally beaten to death, a chilling testament to the lengths authorities will go to suppress information.
Reports indicate Alaeddin was arrested weeks prior, his home raided by security agents who discovered the satellite equipment. Resistance during the search allegedly led to a fatal assault, his death initially concealed from his family.
His remains were eventually returned, but only after a harrowing condition: silence. The family was forced to pledge not to speak to the media, a desperate attempt to bury the truth alongside him.
Meanwhile, Sassan Azadvar Joonqani met a similarly horrific fate. Accused of “effective cooperation with the enemy” and “enmity against God” for participating in January protests, he was publicly executed.
Joonqani, a provincial karate champion from Isfahan, was “hung until dead,” his youthful potential extinguished for daring to dissent. His story underscores a terrifying reality: in Iran, disagreement can be a capital offense.
The regime cloaks its brutality in the language of “national security,” framing opposition as collaboration with external forces. But the truth is stark and undeniable – these are the executions of individuals who simply sought a better future.
For 62 days, the Iranian people have endured a suffocating internet shutdown, coupled with escalating violence. These deaths are not isolated incidents, but part of a systematic campaign to crush dissent and maintain control.
Hesam Alaeddin and Sassan Azadvar Joonqani represent the human cost of oppression, their names a haunting reminder of the price of freedom in a nation gripped by fear. Their stories demand to be remembered.
