Iranian authorities have carried out the execution of three men who were sentenced to death in connection with the nationwide anti-government protests that took place last year.
The judiciary confirmed the executions, stating that the men were convicted of their alleged involvement in a shooting attack that resulted in the deaths of three security personnel in Isfahan in November.
However, the human rights organization Amnesty International has raised serious concerns about the fairness of the trials and has alleged that the individuals were subjected to torture.
Amnesty claims that the men endured unjust trials, forcibly disappeared, and were forced to make incriminating statements that were used against them in court.
Amnesty sources also revealed chilling details of the men being subjected to torture, including being suspended upside down, threatened with the death of their family members and witnessing the torture of their loved ones.
The executed individuals, Majid Kazemi, 30, Saleh Mirhashemi, 36, and Saeed Yaqoubi, 37, were arrested following protests in Isfahan in mid-November, during which two members of the Basij paramilitary force and a police officer were fatally shot.
Amnesty International and the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran have criticized the proceedings, highlighting the lack of a fair defense, the reliance on forced confessions, and irregularities in the indictment. They argue that the case was politically motivated.
These executions come in the wake of the widespread protests that swept across Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died while in the custody of the morality police in Tehran.
Amini’s arrest was related to allegations of improperly wearing her hijab. Since December, four other protesters have been hanged, while dozens more have reportedly been handed death sentences or faced charges for capital offenses.
The international community has expressed outrage at the high number of executions in Iran this year.
The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Türk, expressed dismay at what he called a “frighteningly high number of executions.”
According to UN sources, at least 209 people have been executed in Iran so far in 2023, averaging more than 10 people per week. Many of these executions are reportedly related to drug-related offenses.
Amnesty International’s Middle East deputy director, Diana Eltahawy, condemned the executions and highlighted the Iranian authorities’ disregard for human rights.
She described the trials as fast-tracked, marred by torture-induced confessions, procedural flaws, and a lack of evidence, emphasizing the authorities’ brazen disregard for the right to life and fair trial.
She said in a statement; “The use of the death penalty against these men is a blatant act of vengeance against a courageous generation of protesters for steadfastly demanding the rights of Iranian people during the past seven months.
“The shocking manner in which the trial and sentencing of these protesters were fast-tracked through Iran’s judicial system amid the use of torture-tainted ‘confessions’, serious procedural flaws, and a lack of evidence, is another example of the Iranian authorities’ brazen disregard for the rights to life and fair trial.”
As the international community continues to raise concerns about Iran’s human rights record, the executions and alleged violations of due process in these cases underscore the urgent need for Iran to address these issues and ensure justice and respect for human rights for all its citizens.
