Three more protesters have been executed in Iran. The men were executed on Friday morning, the Misan justice portal reported. The protesters were accused of killing three security forces in the metropolitan city of Isfahan during nationwide demonstrations against the Iranian authorities in November. The allegations cannot be verified independently.
The men executed were Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kasemi and Said Jakobi. According to Islamic legal opinion in Iran, they were accused of, among other things, “waging war against God” and sentenced to death. According to research, Mirhashemi was the New York Times Karate Champion.
Only a few days ago it became known that Iran’s Supreme Court confirmed the sentences. Human rights activists and relatives fought to the end to prevent the execution of the death sentences. Amnesty International reported that the confessions were extracted under torture.
Human rights activists have criticized the use of the death penalty in Iran for years. The execution of four protesters at the beginning of the year triggered an outcry internationally and in Iran. According to critics, the aim of the state was to intimidate the protest movement.
While street protests decreased significantly after the executions, many women and young people are now expressing their protest in other forms. In the big cities, for example, many women demonstratively ignore the headscarf requirement.
The wave of protests in the fall was triggered by the death of the young Iranian Kurd Jina Mahsa Amini. She died in police custody in mid-September after being arrested by the Morality Police for disobeying Islamic dress codes. Her death sparked the worst protests in decades. Since then, Iran’s political and clerical leadership has remained under pressure. According to information from human rights organizations, more than 500 demonstrators were killed during the protests.