Iran hangs two anti-government protesters in public

Iran on Tuesday executed two men convicted over violent attacks during the anti-government protests that peaked in January, with local media reporting that the hangings were carried out publicly in a square in Isfahan province, AFP reported.

According to the judiciary's Mizan Online, Abolfazl Sepahi and Amir-Hossein Safari were executed after being found guilty of attacking police officers with machetes and knives, tying them to road signs, dragging them on the ground, dousing them with gasoline and setting them on fire during unrest on January 8.

The judiciary said the two were convicted on charges including "moharebeh" (waging war against God) and "corruption on earth", accusing them of using weapons to spread fear and seriously disrupt public order and national security.


State-run Mehr News Agency reported that the executions took place in a public square in Malekshahr in central Isfahan province, with members of the public present.

The demonstrations began in late December over rising living costs before expanding into nationwide anti-government protests that reached their peak on January 8 and 9. Iranian authorities have blamed the violence on what they describe as terrorist acts backed by the United States and Israel, while overseas rights groups have accused security forces of opening fire on protesters.

The executions come amid an intensified crackdown following the protests and the subsequent conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States. Earlier this month, two other men were executed in Isfahan province over similar protest-related charges. According to Amnesty International, Iran carries out the world's second-highest number of executions after China.