Iran Executes Two Young Men Amid Protests
Iran has executed two young men, Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi, in a public hanging on Tuesday in Isfahan’s Shahid Alikhani Square. This action comes in response to their alleged involvement in anti-government protests that erupted nationwide in January, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a group opposing the Iranian regime.
Witnesses reported that as the executions took place, people shouted “Dishonorable, dishonorable!” before security forces used tear gas to disperse the crowd. The NCRI said that security personnel were seen on rooftops and surrounding streets, likely to control any backlash from the public.
State media confirmed the hangings, noting that they were conducted in front of a gathered audience. NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi stated that the regime deployed agents to prevent public outrage over these actions.
This incident highlights an ongoing crackdown on protestors following demonstrations that began in late December and escalated in January. Human rights organizations have voiced concerns about the fairness of trials, alleging that many defendants are denied proper legal representation and coerced into confessions.
According to Iran’s judiciary, Badjani and Hosseinabadi were linked to the killing of four members of the State Security Force during the protests. They were charged with “enmity against God” and “corruption on Earth,” along with destruction of public property and armed actions.
The NCRI claims that the defendants were not allowed to choose their lawyers and were not given access to important case documents during their trials. Despite these claims, the judiciary maintains that the men had legal representation and that the convictions were based on various forms of evidence.
Their executions are part of the broader Alikhani Square case, which has seen multiple death sentences handed out to protestors. Recently, two other defendants were executed, raising the total to four. The U.N. has expressed concerns that the remaining defendants face the same fate.
U.N. experts have criticized the process, stating that all defendants faced a single, closed hearing without a clear understanding of their individual allegations, which violates fair trial standards. Human Rights Watch has reported that over 50 individuals have been executed in recent months under vague national security charges.
Human Rights Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam condemned the use of public hangings as a method to instill fear in society. He emphasized that such practices are forms of state terror that the international community should not accept.
The protests in Iran began against a backdrop of severe economic troubles and have evolved into some of the largest anti-government demonstrations in the country’s history.
