A Facebook user posted a photo showing a man on the gallows about to be hanged. And despite what is about to befall him, he is smiling and waving.
The security official who would later kick away the stool he is standing on is also seen in the photo.
“This man was hanged in Iraqi for refusing to denounce Jesus Christ,” the caption reads.
“Look at the joy on his face as he wave bye to his family. Look at the smile on his face. Oh my God. May his soul rest in peace in Jesus name.” The posts then calls on “those who love Jesus” to forward it as “God was watching”.
Social media users who heeded the call shared it 26,000 times with the few comments posted below expressing sympathy. The man was also referred to as a “Christian who refused to accept Islam” in a Russian language blog.
The post was flagged as false by a Facebook user in Nigeria.
A reverse image search reveals that the photo and many other similar ones were taken during the public hanging of Majid Kavousifar and his nephew Hossein Kavousifar in Tehran, Iran, on 2 August 2007.
According to the BBC, Reuters and Payvand, an Iran-focused news website run out of the San Francisco area in the US, the two were convicted for the murder of Judge Hassan Moghaddas in central Tehran, among other crimes.
The BBC described Majid Kavousifar as having “smiled in an attempt to reassure” his distressed-looking cousin Hossein Kavousifar, who was also executed that day.
The reports says they were executed at the same place, and on the same month and day, that they murdered the judge. It was carried out in front of a large picture of the murdered judge.
A graphic video of the hanging was uploaded on YouTube. – Dancan Bwire (21/05/2019)
The security official who would later kick away the stool he is standing on is also seen in the photo.
“This man was hanged in Iraqi for refusing to denounce Jesus Christ,” the caption reads.
“Look at the joy on his face as he wave bye to his family. Look at the smile on his face. Oh my God. May his soul rest in peace in Jesus name.” The posts then calls on “those who love Jesus” to forward it as “God was watching”.
Social media users who heeded the call shared it 26,000 times with the few comments posted below expressing sympathy. The man was also referred to as a “Christian who refused to accept Islam” in a Russian language blog.
The post was flagged as false by a Facebook user in Nigeria.
Convicted murderer in Iran
A reverse image search reveals that the photo and many other similar ones were taken during the public hanging of Majid Kavousifar and his nephew Hossein Kavousifar in Tehran, Iran, on 2 August 2007.
According to the BBC, Reuters and Payvand, an Iran-focused news website run out of the San Francisco area in the US, the two were convicted for the murder of Judge Hassan Moghaddas in central Tehran, among other crimes.
The BBC described Majid Kavousifar as having “smiled in an attempt to reassure” his distressed-looking cousin Hossein Kavousifar, who was also executed that day.
The reports says they were executed at the same place, and on the same month and day, that they murdered the judge. It was carried out in front of a large picture of the murdered judge.
A graphic video of the hanging was uploaded on YouTube. – Dancan Bwire (21/05/2019)
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