Karen O, Shirley Manson, Suki Waterhouse and Samuel L. Jackson join the call to #StopExecutionsInIran

Karen O, Shirley Manson and Suki Waterhouse are some of the musicians who have supported calls to end the execution of protest in Iran.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, more than 50 show business personalities participated in a video where each of them has a piece of paper with the hashtag handwritten on it. #StopExecutionsInIran.

The project was organized and produced by Iranian-American screenwriter Nicole Najafi, director, screenwriter and producer Ana Lily Amirpour, and actor and screenwriter Mozhan Marnò.

“We stand with the people of Iran as they fight for freedom,” reads a message on the screen, “Thousands of protesters have been arrested. Some have already been executed. Many more are at risk. But the world watching.”

Marnò told THR that the goal of the video is “to draw the attention of as many people as possible to this issue so that the Islamic Republic feels the pressure: the international community is watching.”

The other objective is to show the Iranians that the world is with them, that they are not forgotten, that their protests and their suffering are not in vain. They are on the street at risk of their lives, and it has been months now.

“We cannot underestimate the mental and physical stamina it requires.”

The demonstrations are part of a series of uprisings against the Islamic Republic that have taken place in recent years, in an attempt to bring democracy back to the country.

Last September, the death of Mahsa Amini sparked massive protests across Iran. The 22-year-old died in Tehran after being arrested for not wearing the hijab in accordance with government regulations.

The police claimed that she went into cardiac arrest at the police station, although witnesses claimed that Amini was badly beaten by the authorities.

The Iranian government tried to suppress the protests by blocking access to apps, including Instagram and WhatsApp, and internet access was also limited in the country’s strictest internet restrictions since 2019. used against them.

Among those who have spoken out after Amini’s death are Yungblud, Pearl Jam and Bebe Rexha.

By the end of last month, around 500 deaths related to the ongoing demonstrations had been recorded. Thousands more have been detained, and 100 protesters are at risk of execution (via Human Rights in Iran).

“We have reached a point where we know that this new generation of Iranians want freedom and are in control of their future like never before, and what we can do is have the conversation keep that going in new and vital ways,” Amirpour said of the new story. video and social media campaign.

“See non-Iranian media come forward and support us it means a lot because the media overlook us, got a lot of things wrong and sometimes even make things worse. So it just falls back on We let the people know.”

Najafi, for his part, said he hopes the images will inspire others to show their support online and off: “I hope celebrities will speak during their award speeches,” he said , “and that the people of Iran will not look forward to your eyes. .”

“This is one of those rare cases where social media activism is activism.”

Many actors also appear in the #StopExecutionsInIran video, including Samuel L. Jackson, Cate Blanchett, Bryan Cranston, Brian Cox, Kate Beckinsale, Jason Segel and Elijah Wood.

Watch it in full above.