Iran reportedly executed two individuals convicted of allegedly murdering a paramilitary volunteer during a demonstration on Saturday, the latest executions aimed at curbing the widespread rallies now threatening the theocracy of the country.
Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini were recognized by Iran’s judiciary as the two individuals hanged, bringing the total number of men known to have been executed since the September rallies over the death of Mahsa Amini to four. All have endured internationally condemned, closed-door, expedited trials.
The judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported that the individuals were guilty of killing Ruhollah Ajamian, a volunteer member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Basij Force, on November 3 in the city of Karaj outside of Tehran. The Basij have deployed in major cities, attacking and detaining demonstrators, who have fought back in many instances.
According to prosecutors, state television broadcast heavily manipulated footage of Karami speaking before a Revolutionary Court regarding the incident, which included a rehearsal of the crime. The two other executed death penalties were given down by Revolutionary Courts in Iran.
The tribunals prohibit defendants from choosing their own attorneys or even viewing the evidence against them. According to Amnesty International, the trials “had no resemblance to a meaningful legal proceeding.”
State TV also aired footage of Karami and Hosseini discussing the attack, despite the fact that the station has aired confessions described by activists as coerced for years.
A memorial for Majid Reza Rahnavard, 23 years old, who was executed by the Iranian government on December 12, 2022.
The guys were convicted of murder and “corruption on Earth,” a Quranic word that has been used against others since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and carries the death penalty.
According to activists, at least sixteen individuals have been sentenced to death in closed-door proceedings on accusations related to the protests. In Iran, executions of death sentences are normally carried out via hanging.
Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that has closely tracked the turmoil, report that at least 517 protesters have been killed and over 19,200 people have been detained. The Iranian government has not issued an official death or arrest toll.
Since Mahsa Amini’s murder on September 16, 2022, Iran has been gripped by demonstrations.
AFP Images via Getty
Midway through September, 22-year-old Amini died after being imprisoned by Iran’s morality police for allegedly breaching the severe clothing code of the Islamic Republic. Women have played a prominent role in the demonstrations, with many publicly removing the obligatory Islamic headscarf, also known as the hijab.
The protests represent one of the most significant challenges to Iran’s theocracy since the revolution of 1979. According to rights groups, security officers have used live bullets, bird shot, tear gas, and batons to disperse protesters.
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