Iran: Two people were executed in connection with the protests

The authorities Iranians announced on Saturday the execution by hanging of two men convicted of having killed a paramilitary during the demonstrations triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini.

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These hangings bring to four the number of executions since the start of the protest movement in Iran in mid-September.

“Mohammad Mahdi Karami and Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, the main perpetrators of the crime that led to the martyrdom of Ruhollah Ajamian, were hanged in the morning.” on Saturday, said Mizan Online, the information agency of the judiciary.

The two men were accused of killing this member of the IRGC-affiliated Basij paramilitary militia on November 3 in Karaj, a city west of Tehran.

The trial court sentenced them to death on 4 December. The verdict was confirmed on January 3 by Iran’s Supreme Court, the agency said.

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Desperation of a father

Since the beginning of the demonstrations, the court has sentenced 14 people linked to these protests to death, according to an AFP count based on official information.

Of these, four have been executed, another two received a confirmation of the sentence by the Supreme Court, six await a new process and two can appeal the decision.

Activists in the country say that another dozen people face charges that can carry the death penalty.

The Islamic Republic has been rocked by a protest movement following the death on September 16 of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who had been arrested for violating the dress code, which includes wearing the veil.

Iranian officials denounce “riots”, fueled by foreign countries and opposition groups, they say, and say hundreds of people have been killed in the clashes, including members of the security forces.

Mohammad Mahdi Karami, who was executed for killing a member of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force amid protests, attending a court hearing in Karaj on December 5. (Photo: IRINN / AFP) (-/)

The executions on Saturday come despite a campaign by NGOs calling on Tehran to pardon Mohammad Mahdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini. Amnesty International denounced an “unfair” and “expeditious” process.

In mid-December, Mohammad Mahdi’s father, Mashallah Karami, posted a video on social media imploring the authorities to quash the death sentence against his son.

The father described him as a karate champion, a member of the national team, who had won competitions in Iran.

Mashallah Karami told the Iranian press that the family’s lawyer had not been able to access his son’s file.

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tortured

The lawyer, Mohammad Aghasi, wrote on Twitter that Karami was unable to reunite with his family before his execution.

According to the group Iran Human Rights (IHR), based in Norway, Karami was 22 years old and, according to NGOs, Hosseini, 39 years old.

Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, who was executed for killing a member of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force amid protests, attending a court hearing in Karaj on December 5. (Photo: IRINN / AFP) (-/)

“We are mourning as a nation” reacted on Twitter a well-known Iranian opponent who lives in USAMasih Alinejad. “Help us save the others”, added in the text accompanied by an image with two men introduced as Karami and Hosseini.

IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said the two had been “subjected to torture and sentenced after a mock trial” and called for “tougher sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities.”

Tehran has already been subject to a series of international sanctions in reaction to the crackdown on protests.

British actress of Iranian origin, Nazanin Boniadi, Amnesty International’s ambassador to the UK, called for sanctions against a “regime complicit in human rights violations”.

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thousands of arrests

Around 14,000 people have been arrested in Iran, according to the UN, since mid-September, including athletes, activists, film personalities and journalists.

On Thursday, Mahdi Beikoghli, head of the political section of the daily Etemad, was arrested after interviewing relatives of death row inmates in connection with the demonstrations, according to the reformist newspaper.

Navab Ebrahimi, a celebrity Iranian chef known for his Instagram videos about Persian cooking, was arrested in Tehran on Wednesday, human rights organizations reported.

On the same day, actress Taraneh Alidoosti was released on bail after three weeks in detention for having supported the protests, her lawyer revealed.

Source: Elcomercio