Iran Executes Three Men Involved in Anti-Government Protests

Illustration. (Pixabay/MiamiAccidentLawyer)

JAKARTA - Iran executed three men after they were found guilty of involvement in anti-government protests that rocked the country in December and January, authorities said on Monday.

Arrests and executions in Iran, particularly related to protests that began in December over the cost of living, have increased since the start of a regional war sparked by the US-Israeli attack on February 28.

"Mehdi Rassouli and Mohammad Reza Miri, Mossad agents involved in the January riots in Mashhad (northeast), responsible for widespread violence and the death of a member of the security forces, have been hanged," the Iranian judiciary's Mizan website said, referring to the Israeli intelligence agency, reported Al Arabiya and AFP (4/5).

The court accused the two men of "using molotov bombs and sharp weapons, inciting and encouraging others to kill, and directly participating in the killing of a security officer."

"Ebrahim Dolatabadi, one of the main instigators of the riots in Mashhad that killed several members of the security forces, was also hanged," Mizan added.

The sentence was carried out after the Supreme Court confirmed the verdict for the three men, Mizan said.

According to Iranian authorities, the wave of protests that peaked in January began peacefully before turning into "riots instigated by foreign forces."

The government has acknowledged more than 3,000 deaths in the protests but blames the violence on "terrorist acts" orchestrated by the United States and Israel.

On Sunday, a man was executed for his role in a killing carried out during another wave of protests that rocked Iran in 2022-2023 following the death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurdish young woman.