Controversial process
Two men publicly executed in Iran after attack
Demonstrators stand in front of the Reichstag with symbolic gallows and demonstrate against executions and the death penalty in Iran. photo
© Annette Riedl/dpa/symbol picture
The two Afghan men were allegedly involved in an armed attack on a Shiite mosque. Now they were publicly executed in a city of millions. Amnesty sees method in this.
The background is an armed attack on a Shiite mosque in Shiraz at the end of October. The two Afghans Mohammad Rames Raschidi and Naim Hashem Ghotali had been sentenced to death as alleged backers for “corruption on earth” and “armed rebellion”. Iran blames the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS) for the attack that killed more than 13 people. Four other men were charged in the trial.
There was conflicting information from the judiciary about the process. The Oslo-based human rights organization IHRNGO spoke of an unfair trial and reported that the convicts’ confessions were obtained under torture. Amnesty International wrote on Twitter that the public execution shows once again Iran’s increasing use of the death penalty “as a means of political repression”.
Five dead after attack on police station
At least six people have been killed in an attack on a police station in southern Iran. A police officer and four attackers were among the dead, the state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday. According to this, several men attacked a post in the city of Sahedan in the province of Sistan and Balochistan. A reporter from state television spoke of a heavy firefight. Multiple shots can be heard on a street on videos on social media intended to show the incident. The background of the rare attack was initially unclear.
State media described the attack as a terrorist attack. The Tasnim news agency initially reported at least two explosions. The attackers were equipped with explosive belts, it said. A senior provincial officer later said in an interview with state television that firecrackers were involved.
For months, residents in the provincial capital Sahedan have been demonstrating against the Islamic state leadership every Friday. The province also borders Pakistan and is considered a flashpoint for clashes between security forces and smuggling gangs. However, terrorist attacks in Iran are extremely rare.