Two men have been hanged in Iran for allegedly killing a member of the military during nationwide protests. Iran hangs two men for allegedly killing a member of the military.
Mohammad Mahdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini were found guilty of “corruption on earth” over their alleged involvement in the death of a paramilitary officer.
Human rights groups have denounced what they described as a “sham” trial. The family of 22-year-old Mr. Karami says they were not permitted to meet him before he was killed.
Protests against Iran’s clerical establishment erupted in September following the death in custody of a woman who was detained by morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab, or headscarf, “improperly”.
Iranian officials describe the protests as “riots” and have accused foreign powers of fuelling the unrest.
The men were first sentenced to death in December 2022 but they appealed against their sentences after they claimed they were tortured into making false confessions.
Lawyers representing Mr. Hosseini said he was beaten and blindfolded while in prison. “He was tasered and beaten on the soles of his feet with a metal rod,” Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani said.
His parents pleaded with the judiciary to spare his life. “I beg you please, I ask you… to remove the death penalty from my son’s case,” his father said.
The journalist who interviewed Mr. Karami’s parents was later arrested by police and remains in custody, according to the Centre for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).
CHRI Executive Director Hadi Ghaemi said the men were “lynched” and had no prospect of a fair trial.
“The Islamic Republic is using executions and lethal force against street protesters to instill terror in the hearts of the population to crush the Iranian people’s hopes and calls for change.”
Three other men have been sentenced to death in the same case, while another 11 received prison sentences. Iran hangs two men for allegedly killing a member of the military. The latest hangings bring the number of people executed in Iran since December to four.
In December, 23-year-old Majidreza Rahnavard was hanged publicly from a crane for allegedly killing two members of the security forces with a knife and wounding four others and another 23-year-old, Mohsen Shekari, was killed for allegedly blocking a street and wounding a member of Iran’s Basij force with a knife.
