Iran has executed three men, Hassan Dioband, Hamid Kazemi, and Reza Zanganeh, accused of carrying out armed unrest during January protests, state media reported. The men were convicted of throwing Molotov cocktails and grenades, using bladed weapons and firearms, and setting fire to public facilities in Karaj, west of Tehran. Authorities allege the three were operating on behalf of Israel and the United States. The executions bring the number of people hanged over the January protests to at least 39, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), which warns many more are at risk.
The judiciary’s Mizan news agency stated the three men had been convicted of actions carried out on behalf of Israel and the United States. Tasnim reported that Dioband was arrested on January 11 after being identified as a suspect in attacks on public property and incitement to violence, with ten others arrested under his supervision receiving prison sentences of 5 to 10 years. The protests initially sparked in December due to the high cost of living and escalated into widespread anti-government demonstrations peaking on January 8 and 9.
Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths during the unrest, blaming the violence on “terrorist acts” orchestrated by the US and Israel. Foreign-based NGOs have provided higher figures, and the BBC received multiple accounts of security forces opening fire on unarmed protesters. The number of executions in Iran has increased since late February, coinciding with US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk has expressed alarm over the rise in death penalties, stating at least 56 people had been executed on national security-related charges since March 19, including 27 linked to the January protests. Amnesty International reported at least 2,159 people were put to death in Iran last year, the highest figure since 1981, including 45 suspected dissidents on national security-related charges. Iran is considered the world’s second-most prolific executioner after China.
Our reading is that these executions represent a continuation of Iran’s established practice of using capital punishment to suppress dissent, particularly following periods of unrest. The stated justification linking the executed men to Israel and the United States appears to be a rhetorical device employed by the authorities to further legitimize the actions and frame the protests as foreign-backed. The increasing number of executions coinciding with external pressures, such as US-Israeli strikes, suggests a potential escalation of this tactic.
Read the original coverage
💬 Comments
📜 Comment Policy