Iran executed three individuals who were convicted of participating in anti-government rallies that erupted in the country in December and January, officials said Monday.
Arrests and executions in Iran, notably in connection with the December protests over living costs, have increased since the start of the regional war started by a US-Israeli invasion 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, were hanged,” said the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan Online website, referring to the Israeli spy agency.
The court accused the two men of “using Molotov cocktails and bladed weapons, inciting and encouraging others to kill, and directly participating in the murder of a security officer.”
“Ebrahim Dolatabadi, one of the main instigators of the riots in Mashhad that claimed the lives of several members of the security forces, was also hanged,” Mizan added.
According to Mizan, the penalties were carried out after the Supreme Court validated the verdicts of all three defendants.
According to Iranian authorities, the wave of protests that peaked in January began peacefully before devolving into “riots fomented by foreign powers.”
The government has recognized that more than 3,000 people died in the protests, but it blames the carnage on “terrorist acts” coordinated by the US and Israel.
On Sunday, a man was hanged for his role in a murder committed during another round of riots in Iran from 2022 to 2023 in response to the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian Kurdish lady.
According to human rights organizations, Iran is the world’s most prolific executioner behind China.
According to estimates from Norway-based Iran Human Rights, Iran executed at least 1,500 individuals last year, including 12 people in cases related to the 2022-2023 protests.
