Iran has executed three men accused of killing police officers during anti-government protests in January, state media say, marking the first hangings related to the demonstrations. Among those executed was teenager Saleh Mohammadi, who was reportedly a member of Iran's national wrestling team, according to CBS sources. The executions occurred in Qom province after the Supreme Court upheld their sentences, as reported by Iran's Tasnim news agency.
The nationwide protests, which began in December 2022 and escalated in January 2023, were met with a violent crackdown by the Iranian authorities, resulting in thousands of deaths, as claimed by rights groups. The executed men were found guilty of killing two police officers in separate attacks and were also convicted of 'moharebeh'—a charge used for death sentences against protesters.
Human rights organizations have reported that these individuals confessed under torture and did not receive fair trials. Their death followed another execution of Kouroush Keyvani, a dual Iranian-Swedish national found guilty of espionage against Israel, raising alarms over the justice system's integrity in Iran amidst rampant civil unrest sparked by economic discontent and demands for political change.
The nationwide protests, which began in December 2022 and escalated in January 2023, were met with a violent crackdown by the Iranian authorities, resulting in thousands of deaths, as claimed by rights groups. The executed men were found guilty of killing two police officers in separate attacks and were also convicted of 'moharebeh'—a charge used for death sentences against protesters.
Human rights organizations have reported that these individuals confessed under torture and did not receive fair trials. Their death followed another execution of Kouroush Keyvani, a dual Iranian-Swedish national found guilty of espionage against Israel, raising alarms over the justice system's integrity in Iran amidst rampant civil unrest sparked by economic discontent and demands for political change.
