Iran carries out second execution linked to anti-government protests

Iran hanged a person in public after being convicted of killing two members of the safety forces. This is the second execution linked to anti-government protests.

Dubai,UPDATED: Dec 12, 2022 14:40 IST

People gentle a hearth throughout a protest over the demise of Mahsa Amini, a lady who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic’s “morality police”, in Tehran, Iran (Photo: Reuters)

By Reuters: Iran hanged a person in public on Monday who had been convicted of killing two members of safety forces, the judiciary’s Mizan information company reported, the second execution of individuals concerned in anti-government protests in lower than per week.

Nationwide protests, of their third month, erupted after the demise of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian girl Mahsa Amini on September 16 within the custody of morality police implementing strict obligatory gown code legal guidelines.

The demonstrations have become a preferred revolt by livid Iranians from all layers of society, posing one of many worst legitimacy challenges to the clerical management because the 1979 revolution.

“Majid Reza Rahnavard was hanged in public in (the holy Shi’ite city of) Mashahd this morning … he was sentenced to death for ‘waging war against God’ after stabbing to death two members of security forces,” Mizan mentioned.

READ: Iran reviewing decades-old obligatory hijab legislation amid protests

The semi-official Fars information company mentioned Rahnavard killed two members of the Basij volunteer power and wounded 4 others. The Basij power, affiliated with the nation’s Revolutionary Guards, has been on the forefront of the state crackdown on protests.

Activists on social media criticised the execution of the 23-year-old Rahnavard as “a criminal act” by the clerical institution to discourage dissent.

“They called Rahnavard’s family at 7 am (local time) and told them to go to the Beheste Reza cemetery. ‘We executed your child and buried him,’ they said,” extensively adopted activist account 1500Tasvir posted on Twitter.

The contents of the submit couldn’t be verified by Reuters.

On Thursday, Iran hanged Mohsen Shekari, who had been convicted of injuring a safety guard with a knife and blocking a road in Tehran, the primary such execution after 1000’s of arrests over the unrest, drawing a refrain of Western condemnation.

Rights teams have mentioned Shekari was tortured and compelled to admit. Molavi Abdolhamid, an outspoken Sunni cleric within the Shi’ite-ruled Islamic Republic, has mentioned the demise sentence of Shekari violated Sharia legislation, in line with his web site.

State media revealed a video of a person, which it recognized as Rahnavard, stabbing one other man who fell in opposition to a parked motor-cycle after which stabbing one other particular person instantly after after which operating away.

Iran’s state TV confirmed a video by which Rahnavard mentioned within the courtroom that he got here to hate the Basij forces after seeing them beating and killing protesters in movies posted on social media.

READ: Big win for protestors as Iran abolishes morality police after months-long outcry

Amnesty International has mentioned Iranian authorities are searching for the demise penalty for no less than 21 folks in what it referred to as “sham trials designed to intimidate those participating in the popular uprising that has rocked Iran”.

Rights group HRANA mentioned that as of Sunday 488 protesters had been killed, together with 68 minors. It mentioned 62 members of the safety forces had additionally been killed. As many as 18,259 protesters are believed to have been arrested, it mentioned.

While the United Nations says the protests have value greater than 300 lives, a high Iranian state safety physique has mentioned that 200 folks, together with members of the safety forces, had died within the unrest.

Published On:

Dec 12, 2022