Iran Hangs 3 Men Convicted Of Killing Security Forces During Protests, Draws Flak From West

Iran executed three men, convicted of killing security force members during protests triggered by Mahsa Amini's death, on Friday. The executions drew condemnation from Western governments.

Iran executed three men, convicted of killing security force members during protests triggered by Mahsa Amini's death, on Friday. The executions drew condemnation from Western governments.

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Iran executed three men, convicted of killing security force members during protests triggered by Mahsa Amini's death last year, on Friday, as reported by the news agency AFP. The executions drew condemnation from Western governments. Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi, and Saeed Yaghoubi were found guilty of "moharebeh" or waging "war against God" for shooting dead three members of the security forces at a demonstration in the central city of Isfahan on November 16, the judiciary said on its Mizan Online news website.

Following the death of 22-year-old Amini, an Iranian Kurd who was arrested for an alleged breach of the Islamic Republic's strict dress rules for women, Iran witnessed waves of nationwide protests. During the protests, which Tehran labelled as foreign-instigated "riots", thousands of Iranians were arrested and hundreds killed, including dozens of security personnel. According to AFP, the hangings that took place on Friday brought the total number of Iranians executed in connection with the demonstrations to seven.

The executions also drew flak from the European Union. EU condemned the executions "in the strongest possible terms", foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement, as reported by AFP. He called on Tehran to "refrain from applying the death penalty and carrying out future executions", adding that authorities should abide by "their obligations under international law" and respect "the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly," as quoted by AFP.

Kazemi, Mirhashemi, and Yaghoubi were arrested in November and sentenced to death in January. They were also charged with membership of "illegal groups with the intention of disrupting national security and collusion leading to crimes against internal security", Mizan said, as reported by AFP.

It noted "evidence and documents in the case and the clear statements made by the accused" showed that "the shootings carried out by these three people led to the martyrdom of three (members of the) security forces". Nazanin Boniadi, a British actor and activist of Iranian origin, tweeted that the three men had been "murdered... after forced confessions and sham trials".

A video shared on social media on Friday and verified by AFP showed Tehran residents chanting "Death to the Islamic republic" and other slogans in the capital's Ekbatan district, the site of repeated protest actions. The cases of the three men have caused concern abroad, including in Australia where some of Kazemi's family live.

His cousin Mohammad Hashemi wrote an open letter to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong asking for her support. "Majid is only 30 years old. He is a compassionate, loving, and strong-willed person. He, like many other Iranians, participated in peaceful demonstrations to raise his voice and demand change," Hashemi wrote in the letter, published on the petition website change.org. Wong on Friday condemned the execution, which she said "exemplifies the regime's brutality against its people". "Australia stands with the people of Iran," Wong tweeted.