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Iran's Execution Machine Is Running at Full Speed
(RealClear World) Struan Stevenson - While global attention remains fixed on war and negotiations, the Iranian regime has launched one of its most extensive campaigns of political executions and repression in recent memory. Young protesters, political activists, students and opposition supporters are being sent to the gallows while much of the democratic world remains distracted. 775 have been hanged since the beginning of the year. Dozens more remain under sentence of death. A clear message must reach Tehran. Western governments should close Iranian embassies and expel regime diplomats who serve as instruments of influence and intelligence gathering. Economic sanctions should be expanded and rigorously enforced. Every official responsible for executions, torture and crimes against humanity should face targeted measures and international accountability. The Iranian people deserve more than expressions of concern. They deserve active solidarity. The world can continue averting its gaze while Tehran's execution machine accelerates, or it can stand firmly alongside those risking everything for democracy and human rights. The writer was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland (1999-2014) and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (2004-14).