Iranian authorities executed three men on Friday (May 19) in response to protests that erupted following the custodial death of Mahsa Amini, according to Iran’s judiciary. The men were found guilty of committing acts of violence against the country’s security forces.
Mizan Online, the judiciary’s news website, reported that Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi, and Saeed Yaghoubi were convicted of “moharebeh,” which translates to “war against God.” Their conviction stemmed from an incident during a demonstration in the city of Isfahan, where they brandished a gun, resulting in the deaths of three security force members.
The nationwide protests were ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by Iran’s morality police for her alleged inappropriate attire and died while in custody on September 16 the previous year. These protests significantly disrupted the Iranian regime.
The Iranian government referred to the protests as foreign-instigated “riots,” and during the demonstrations, numerous Iranians were arrested, and many, including security forces, lost their lives.
The recent executions bring the total number of individuals executed in relation to the protests to seven. The three men were arrested in November, received death sentences in January, and were also charged with belonging to illegal groups with the intent of undermining national security and engaging in collusion resulting in crimes against internal security.
According to Mizan, the evidence and statements made by the accused clearly demonstrated that the actions of these three individuals led to the deaths of three security forces personnel.
The cases attracted international attention, including in Australia, where some of Kazemi’s relatives reside. Mohammad Hashemi, Kazemi’s cousin, penned an open letter to Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong, requesting her support. Hashemi described Kazemi as a compassionate and determined individual who, like many Iranians, participated in peaceful demonstrations to demand change.
Amnesty International reports that Iran executes more people annually than any other country except China. Just a week prior, Iranian authorities executed four prisoners, which drew international condemnation.
There has been a notable increase in executions in Iran since the beginning of the year, causing alarm among human rights campaigners. In April, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and the Paris-based Together against the Death Penalty published a joint report stating that the Iranian authorities executed 75% more people in 2022 compared to the previous year. According to these organizations, at least 582 individuals were executed in Iran in 2022, marking the highest number of executions since 2015 and a significant rise from the 333 recorded in 2021.
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