Iran executes two prisoners for crimes committed during protests
Iran on Saturday executed two prisoners sentenced to death for the alleged murder of a security officer during protests that have rocked the Persian country since mid-September, bringing to four the number of protesters hanged.
Today, January 6, continuing nationwide protests, people rallied and chanted slogans in #Zahedan.#Iran#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/e6or2uyQWl
— HRANA English (@HRANA_English) January 6, 2023
Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini were executed early this morning for the murder of a Basiji - an Islamic militiaman - in November during protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, the judiciary's Mizan agency reported.
The Islamic Republic has executed two more protesters - Mohammad-Mehdi Karami and Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini - despite global calls for quashing their death sentences.
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) January 7, 2023
Karami, a karate athlete, was not even allowed to meet his family for the last time, his lawyer says. pic.twitter.com/U1LB02pTuj
The two young men, aged 22 and 20 respectively, took part with other "rioters" in the "riots" in Karaj, a city near Tehran, in early November, attempted to block the Karaj-Qazvin highway and attacked security officers, according to Mizan.
In the clashes, they stabbed Basiji Ruhollah Ajamian to death, a crime for which 16 people were charged, four of whom have been sentenced to death.
“Death to the child killer regime”: people chanted tonight (Jan6) from windows in residential neighbourhoods in downtown Tehran. Regime has killed 516 people including 70 children during ongoing protests in Iran that started in mid-September. #مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/Dod3f0Po1C
— Khosro Kalbasi Isfahani (@KhosroKalbasi) January 6, 2023
Karami and Hosseini were arrested on 5 November and tried and sentenced to death on 5 December after a trial lasting less than a week, according to Amnesty International.
The Islamic Republic has carried out 2 more executions of Iranian anti-regime protesters.
— Nahayat Tizhoosh (@NahayatT) January 7, 2023
The regime killed Mohammad Mehdi Karami (22) and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini (39) by hanging.
In the last 30 days, the regime has *officially* executed 4 men. pic.twitter.com/7fhZZxPpFL
Karami's father, who practised karate, a sport in which he won numerous medals, complained to Iranian media that the judicial authorities had not allowed them to choose a lawyer and that the lawyer selected for them did not respond to their calls.
Two other prisoners, Hamid Ghare-Hasalou and Hossein Mohammadi, have been sentenced to death for the Basiji's murder on 3 November.
Iranian-Kurdish Karate champion Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini were executed Saturday morning in relation to their role in protests, according to Fars News#محمدمهدی_کرمی #محمد_حسینی pic.twitter.com/aiSZIo8Q0d
— Artemis Moshtaghian (@ArtemisChats) January 7, 2023
The executions of Karami and Hosseini follow those of Mohsen Shekari and Majid Reza Rahnavard in early December for their involvement in the protests rocking the country.
1/ En menos de una semana Irán ha ejecutado a Mohsen Shekari y a Majid Reza Rahnavard en relación con las protestas que se extienden por todo el país desde el asesinato de #MashaAmini ¿Quiénes eran estas personas? ¿Por qué fueron ejecutadas? Va hilo ? pic.twitter.com/I8ykN5R5Iu
— Amnistía Internacional España (@amnistiaespana) December 13, 2022
These executions have provoked strong international criticism, especially from Western countries, which have called on Iran to put an end to the hangings.
Another 26 people have been sentenced to death for their involvement in the demonstrations, including 18-year-old Arshia Takdastan, who was sentenced to the maximum penalty two days ago.
1/ 17 arrested protestors in Iran are currently on death row! This includes two more young men who have been sentenced to execution in recent days.
— Azam Jangravi | اعظم جنگروی (@azijangravi) January 5, 2023
These two are #ArshiaTakdastan and #MehdiMohammadifard. They are both only 18 years old!#IranRevoIution #مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/6Xb48gHOmK
Iran has been experiencing protests since the death on 16 September of Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by the morality police for not wearing her headscarf properly, but they have evolved and now the demonstrators are calling for the end of the Islamic Republic founded by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979.
At least 2,000 people have been charged by the Iranian judiciary with various offences for their participation in the demonstrations.
the protests in iran rage on…
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) January 6, 2023
the scene in zahedan:pic.twitter.com/zjnOMXVIMh
According to various NGOs, more than 450 people have been killed in recent months in Iran in the various protest demonstrations, which have been severely repressed by the police.
