Iran Signals 'Fast Trials' for Protesters, West Outraged (Again)
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced thousands of people arrested during recent protests will face swift trials, and potentially executions, for 'disturbing peace and order.' This is, of course, presented as barbaric in Western mainstream news. Yet, the same outlets often gloss over the violent suppression of protests in nations aligned with U.S. interests—think Saudi
Arabia's treatment of dissidents or the historical U.S. support for ruthless dictatorships when it served geopolitical aims (see: Shah of Iran, 1953). One might wonder if the concern is truly about human rights, or about which regime is enacting them. The playbook is consistent: strong condemnation for 'adversaries' using authoritarian tactics, while similar actions by 'allies' are reframed as
'maintaining stability.' It's almost as if the severity of a human rights violation is determined by the oil reserves of the perpetrator, not the act itself.