An Iranian anti-regime protester was hanged at dawn Oct. 5 inside Isfahan Central Prison, just hours after marrying his imprisoned fiancée over a jail phone line, The Times reported Thursday. Alireza Sepahi, 25, was executed alongside co-defendant Alireza Raisi after being sentenced to death in the anti-government demonstrations at Isfahan’s Alikhani Square Jan. 8., according to Human Rights Iran. Sepahi and his bride, student activist Mahshad Keshani, 22, knew and loved each other before being arrested during anti-regime demonstrations, the report said.
IRAN HANGS 2 PROTESTERS IN PUBLIC, CROWD CRIES 'DISHONORABLE' AS SECURITY FIRES TEAR GAS Keshani, who is serving a five-year sentence, pushed for an informal wedding Sunday as fears mounted that Sepahi’s execution was imminent after a final family summons. The couple exchanged vows over the phone from inside Isfahan prison, joined by their fathers. Human rights lawyer Amirsalar Davoudi facilitated the ceremony by reading the vows for the fathers to bless.
Keshani’s family gave a copy of the Quran, a saffron rock candy and a single red rose as a traditional dowry. "It was Mahshad’s idea," Davoudi told The Times. "Even now, I wonder how one young woman can possess such courage." IRAN TO EXECUTE FIRST FEMALE PROTESTER TIED TO ANTI-REGIME UNREST Davoudi recalled warning Keshani about the permanent nature of the decision.
"I told her, ‘My dear, you understand that this cannot simply be undone?’" Davoudi said. "She said, ‘Mr Davoudi, I love Alireza.’" When Davoudi presented the proposal to Sepahi, the young man broke down in tears. "Alireza was crying, and something deeply painful and beautiful happened.
Even the prison officers began to cry," Davoudi said. The ceremony held no formal authority to halt the execution. Sepahi had previously survived a scheduled hanging in July after suffering a heart attack on his way to the gallows.
Authorities then rescheduled the execution after he regained consciousness. On Monday morning, hours after the vows were spoken, Sepahi was hanged. IRAN'S REGIME CAME FOR TEENAGE TWINS.
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