Man's heartbreaking final words before he is executed - 'don't cry, dad'

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Man's heartbreaking final words before he is executed - 'don't cry, dad' Alireza Raisi reassured his sobbing father in his final moments before he was carried off to the gallows for protesting against the Iranian regime Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Olivia Beeson 02:38, Tue, Oct 13, 2026 Updated: 02:41, Tue, Oct 13, 2026 Alireza Raisi shared a heartbreaking final call with his father ahead of being hanged (Image: Iran Human Rights) A 21-year-old shared three heartbreaking final words with his father in their last conversation before he was hanged for partaking in a protest against the Iranian regime , audio reveals.

The Iranian protestor said in the devastating call with his father - 'don't cry, dad' as his father began to sob moments before the regime carried Alireza Raisi off to the gallows. Raisi’s last conversation with his father took place from inside an Isfahan prison before he was executed for taking part in the January protests against the regime. Raisi's father fought his tears and said: “Forgive me! Forgive me. There is nothing I can do for you.”

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Raisi responded: “Dad, I’m proud of you in every way. I am always proud of you.” The father sobbed into the phone and uttered back: “I’m proud of you, too,” according to the New York Post. Raisis added he would do anything to take away his father's pain of losing a son. Get the latest news from around the world and more I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family .

Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . He also promised to look after his cousin, Ramin Raisi, who was killed during the January 9 protest in Isfahan’s Baharestand neighborhood, Iran International reported.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT The protestors have been executed after allegedly killing Iran officials (Image: Getty) Raisi said: “Don’t cry, dad. Give my regards to uncle as well. Tell him I’m keeping an eye on Ramin.” Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Raisi was hanged last week along with another protestor, Alireza Sepahi, 25, who got married in prison over the phone just hours before he was put to death. The pair were among the dozen accused of killing four members of Iran’s security force at a protest at Isfahan’s Shahid Alikhani Square, where public executions were being held by the regime.

It has been alleged that the men suffered severe torture to confess to the court, in what human rights groups have slammed sham trials. Raisi and Sepahi’s have allegedly faced further heartbreak as they have reportedly been kept from burying their loved ones in the hometowns. Huge fire rips through Paris with iconic landmark 'totally destroyed' in blaze Trump brutally humiliated by Putin just hours after bombshell announcement Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad condemned the process as a violation of human rights and called for Iran to end its killing of political prisoners.

“This is what the Islamic Republic calls justice: 18 days of torture. Electric shocks. A forced confession. A trial lasting minutes. An appeal thrown out in less than 48 hours. A gallows built beside a Revolutionary Guard executioner,” the writer posted on X. “They think the rope will end the uprising. The rope is only creating more anger towards society,” Alinejad penned. Protests Human Rights Iran Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments

Read the original article on express.co.uk

What we found (1)

The Daily Express reports the hanging of 21-year-old protester Alireza Raisi in Isfahan, his last call with his father and the execution of Alireza Sepahi. It attributes the charges and the torture allegations to their sources. Its one recurring fault is calling Iran's government "the regime" in its own narration, which puts a verdict word into the outlet's voice.

Uses a loaded word
Minor
“for protesting against the Iranian regime”
Why this matters
The Express uses "the Iranian regime" in its own standfirst to name the state that carried out the hanging.
The impression it gives
A reader takes "regime" as a neutral description of Iran's government, not a label with a verdict built in.
The context
"Regime" is a charged term that belongs to the government's critics. A plain description would be "the Iranian government" or "Iran's authorities". The facts of the execution need no label to carry their weight.
Show it in the article
“the regime carried Alireza Raisi off to the gallows”
Why this matters
The Express makes "the regime" the subject of the sentence describing the execution, in narration and not inside a quote.
The impression it gives
The reader sees the state named by a word the outlet treats as its own standard term.
The context
The executing authority could be named precisely, as Iran's judiciary or the prison authorities in Isfahan. The sentence closely follows the New York Post's wording, which also uses "the regime" in its own voice.
How we know
- New York Post reported“as the regime carried him off to the gallows moments later”Iranian protester shared heartbreaking final call with sobbing father before he was executed: 'Don’t cry, dad' (opens in a new tab)
Show it in the article
“the January protests against the regime”
Why this matters
The Express describes the January protests as being against "the regime", repeating the label a third time in the opening paragraphs.
The impression it gives
The reader absorbs the label through repetition as the ordinary name for Iran's state.
The context
The protests can be described as anti-government protests without the outlet adopting a loaded term in its own narration.
Show it in the article
“where public executions were being held by the regime”
Why this matters
The Express uses "the regime" again when reporting the location of the alleged killings, in a sentence that otherwise carefully frames the charge as an accusation.
The impression it gives
The reader reads the label as part of the factual setting of the accusation.
The context
The same sentence correctly marks the killing charge as an accusation. Naming the authorities plainly would keep the whole sentence in a neutral register.
Show it in the article

What it gets right

“The pair were among the dozen accused of killing four members of Iran’s security force”
The Express reports the authorities' charge against the two men as an accusation, neither suppressing it nor stating it as fact.
“It has been alleged that the men suffered severe torture to confess to the court”
The torture allegation is marked as an allegation and tied to human rights groups, not asserted in the outlet's own voice.
“another protestor, Alireza Sepahi, 25”
The Express names the second executed man and gives his age, so he is not reduced to a number.

How other outlets reported it

New York PostIranian protester shared heartbreaking final call with sobbing father before he was executed: 'Don’t cry, dad' (opens in a new tab)

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Man's heartbreaking final words before he is executed - 'don't cry, dad'

Uses a loaded word

What it gets right

How other outlets reported it

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