Iran executes champion wrestler for allegedly murdering a man in a protest on sketchy evidence

[CumbrianLefty]

The regime in Iran is terrible, nobody save a few cranks disagrees there.

Amazingly, though, the US seems to have thrown its weight behind the few exile groups who might actually turn out even worse.

[CumbrianLefty]

Anyway, given the popularity of wrestling in Iran and the seeming flimsiness of the evidence - this seems like quite a "brave" thing for the regime to do?

[CumbrianLefty]

The regime in Iran is terrible, nobody save a few cranks disagrees there.

Amazingly, though, the US seems to have thrown its weight behind the few exile groups who might actually turn out even worse.

Well the current government is better than the Shah, so no surprise there.

The revolution in 1979 had *overwhelming* public support (75-80% backing is probably a fair guess) Its easy to forget that given how things subsequently turned out.

[CumbrianLefty]

Well the current government is better than the Shah, so no surprise there.

So long as you aren't left-wing, homosexual, from an ethnic or religious minority, or a woman.

Some of those didn't always do so great under the Pahlavis tbf.

[CumbrianLefty]

Yes that is actually largely true. Though it is still double-edged in a way, as it is also used to "justify" their ferocious anti-gay stance.

[CumbrianLefty]

Oh, there is no doubt about all that.

In his magnum opus John O'Farrell recalled a book he received from the Iranian "resistance" in the 1980s, which was mostly just endless lists of names that had met their grisly end at the hands of the Ayatollahs - interspersed with occasional pics of people hanging from cranes