In the autumn of a year already heavy with unrest, Iran has carried out the executions of three men, Hassan Dioband, Hamid Kazemi and Reza Zanganeh, for armed violence committed during the anti-government protests that swept the country in January. State media say their convictions, tied to attacks in the western city of Karaj, were upheld by the Supreme Court, though the case rests on accounts that the wider world cannot easily verify. It is one more chapter in a story that began with the rising cost of living and has since been shaped by war, mutual accusation and the deep distrust between a
Iran Executes Three Men Over Alleged Armed Unrest During January Protests
Three men were executed for alleged armed unrest, and authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths during the January protests, a figure disputed by foreign NGOs.
Three men executed; ten others in the same case received prison terms
Mark
Three men executed over events in Karaj. What exactly were they accused of?
Mimi
Throwing Molotov cocktails and grenades, using bladed weapons and firearms, and setting fire to public facilities. That includes an electricity substation that caused outages in some areas.
Mark
And the Supreme Court signed off?
Mimi
According to Tasnim, yes. It upheld the convictions, finding them guilty of working for Israel, the United States and hostile groups.
Luke
Worth pausing there. Everything about the charges and the court's findings comes from state media. The BBC is relaying Tasnim, not confirming it independently.
Mark
What happened to others in the same case?
Mimi
Dioband was arrested on 11 January. Ten others said to have acted under his supervision got prison terms of 5 to 10 years, per Reuters.
Mark
Why does that contrast matter?
Mimi
Three people died and ten got years. It shows how sharply outcomes in one case diverged.
Luke
Though we don't know why. The reporting doesn't explain the sentencing difference, so I'd avoid guessing.
Mark
And the death toll from the protests?
Mimi
Authorities say more than 3,000, blaming the US and Israel. Foreign-based NGOs give higher numbers, and the BBC heard accounts of security forces firing on unarmed protesters.
Luke
Those NGO figures are higher, but the source doesn't give them, so we can't say by how much. The broader trend is firmer: Amnesty counted at least 2,159 executions last year.
Il Polso
- Three men were put to death within months of the protests, and the speed of the process is raising alarm among rights groups and the United Nations.
- State media accuse the men of firebombing and burning public facilities in Karaj, including an electricity substation that left parts of the city without power.
- Authorities put the protest death toll above 3,000 and blame the United States and Israel, while foreign rights groups report higher numbers and eyewitnesses describe fire on unarmed crowds.
- Executions have accelerated since US-Israeli strikes began in February, and the UN human rights chief has publicly voiced alarm at the rising pace.
- Ten others linked to the same unrest have received prison sentences, and the coming weeks will show whether more protest-related cases reach the gallows and draw sustained international scrutiny.
In the autumn of a year already heavy with unrest, Iran has carried out the executions of three men, Hassan Dioband, Hamid Kazemi and Reza Zanganeh, for armed violence committed during the anti-government protests that swept the country in January. State media say their convictions, tied to attacks in the western city of Karaj, were upheld by the Supreme Court, though the case rests on accounts that the wider world cannot easily verify. It is one more chapter in a story that began with the rising cost of living and has since been shaped by war, mutual accusation and the deep distrust between a state and those who challenge it.
Iran has executed three men convicted of armed unrest during the anti-government protests that erupted in January, according to state media. The men, Hassan Dioband, Hamid Kazemi and Reza Zanganeh, were sentenced for attacks in Karaj, a city west of Tehran. Tasnim, the state news agency, says they threw Molotov cocktails and grenades, used knives and firearms, and set fire to public property, including an electricity substation that cut power in some areas. The Supreme Court upheld their convictions, finding they had acted on behalf of Israel, the United States and hostile groups.
Dioband was arrested on 11 January, and ten people accused of working under him were later given prison terms of five to ten years. The protests had begun in December over the high cost of living, grown into nationwide demonstrations, and peaked on 8 and 9 January. Iranian authorities report more than 3,000 deaths and blame foreign powers. Rights groups based abroad cite higher figures, and the BBC has heard multiple accounts of security forces firing on unarmed protesters.
These executions follow a series linked to the unrest, and their pace has grown since US-Israeli strikes began in late February. UN human rights chief Volker Türk has said he is alarmed, noting dozens of national security executions since March. Iran is widely considered the world's second most prolific executioner after China. What remains open is whether more protest-linked cases will end in execution, and whether international concern becomes lasting scrutiny of the trials.
Iran has put to death three men over what authorities describe as armed unrest during the anti-government protests of January, according to state media. The men are Hassan Dioband, Hamid Kazemi and Reza Zanganeh. The account of their case comes from Tasnim, Iran's state news agency, as relayed by the BBC.
Tasnim said the three were accused of throwing Molotov cocktails and grenades, using bladed weapons and firearms, and setting fire to public facilities in Karaj, a city west of Tehran. The alleged damage included an electricity substation, which caused power outages in some areas. According to the agency, the executions followed a Supreme Court decision upholding their convictions. It said the court found them guilty of participating in operational activities on behalf of what it called the Israeli Zionist regime, the United States and hostile groups.
Dioband was arrested on 11 January, after investigators identified him as a suspect in attacks on public property and in incitement to violence. Ten other people accused of taking part in the unrest under his supervision were arrested later. Reuters reports that those ten received prison terms of between five and ten years.
The protests began in December last year, set off by the high cost of living. They grew quickly into widespread anti-government demonstrations that peaked on 8 and 9 January. Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths and blamed the violence on terrorist acts orchestrated by the United States and Israel. Foreign-based rights organisations have given higher figures, and the BBC has received multiple accounts from Iranians of security forces opening fire on unarmed protesters.
These executions are the latest in a series tied to the protests, including cases of people accused of links to Israel and the United States. The pace of executions in Iran has risen since US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic began in late February.
The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, has said he is alarmed by the increase. In August he said at least 56 people had been executed on national security-related charges since 19 March, 27 of them in cases connected to January's nationwide protests.
The broader numbers are stark. Iran is thought to be the world's second-most prolific executioner after China. Amnesty International says it put to death at least 2,159 people last year, the highest figure the group has recorded since 1981, including 45 suspected dissidents executed on national security-related charges.
What to watch now is whether further protest-linked cases reach the execution stage, and whether the concern voiced by the UN and Amnesty turns into sustained scrutiny of how those trials are conducted.
Citazioni salienti
Tasnim said the men were convicted of participating in operational activities on behalf of Israel, the United States and hostile groups.— Tasnim, Iranian state news agency
Volker Türk said he was alarmed by the rise in death penalties.— UN human rights chief Volker Türk
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