Iranian authorities hanged three men on Friday for their roles in the murders of security forces personnel amid protests sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death last year, according to the judiciary.
According to the judiciary’s website Mizan Online, Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi, and Saeed Yaghoubi were convicted of “moharebeh,” or “war against God,” for pulling a gun during a demonstration in the central city of Isfahan.
The executions of Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi, and Saeed Yaghoubi were announced on Friday by Mizan, the judiciary’s website. The message did not go into specifics on how the death penalty was carried out.
Authorities claim the individuals killed a police officer and two members of the paramilitary Basij group in Isfahan, Iran’s third largest city, amid nationwide protests in November 2022.
All three men were found guilty of “moharebeh,” an Islamic law word that means “waging war against God,” for employing firearms, organizing a group to harm national security, and coordinating with the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK), a group located in Europe that Tehran considers a “terrorist” organization.
The Supreme Court stated that there was no credible justification to accept their appeal cases because they were attempting to “overthrow the holy Islamic Republic establishment” and also engaged in burning during “riots.”
Earlier this week, as the families of the three men expressed concern that their sentences will be carried out soon, they demonstrated in front of Isfahan’s central prison. They also made films and sought for people’s support.
Videos also emerged online earlier this week showing many cars congregating around the prison area, with drivers honking their horns and chanting slogans in support of staying the executions. A short message purportedly handwritten and signed by the three men was widely published online, in which they said, “Don’t let them kill us.”
