Iran hangs 3, including 19-year-old champion wrestler, activists fear mass executions
Iran has executed three, including a 19-year-old athlete, for waging war against God. Saleh Mohammadi had participated in international events and was publicly hanged. There are fears of mass executions amid the war with the US and Israel.
Iran executes 19-year-old wrestler and two others
Iran hanged a 19-year-old wrestler and two others on Thursday after they were tortured into confessing that they waged war against God. They were executed without a fair trial after being accused of killing two police officers in the January protests. They weren't given a fair trial, and their executions have raised fears that the regime could hang more people in the coming days, activists said.
The trio were tortured into confessing they killed two police officers in the protests
The judiciary-linked Mizan news agency reported that Mehdi Ghasemi, Saleh Mohammadi and Saeed Davoudi were executed after an unjust trial. Saleh Mohammadi is a national-level wrestler and has competed in international competitions. He denied the charges in court and said they were made to confess under torture, said those in the know.
The three were accused of waging war against God
These were the first executions linked to the nationwide protests in Iran earlier this year. The regime has been accused of killing thousands in the brutal crackdown. The trio were hanged in Qom and was also charged with the crime of waging war against God. Iran's sharia law describes it as moharebeh.
They were also accused of helping Israel and America
Amnesty International also raised concerns about Saleh Mohammadi, a young athlete, saying he was denied "adequate defence and forced to make 'confessions'...in fast-tracked proceedings that bore no resemblance to a meaningful trial." They were also found guilty of being involved in carrying out "operational actions" in favour of Israel and America. Activists have warned that more hangings could happen as the war with Israel and the United States rages.
Activists warn Iran could carry out mass executions
There is a high probability that Iran could carry out mass executions linked to the ongoing war. A day earlier, it executed Kouroush Keyvani, a dual Iranian-Swedish national, accusing him of spying for Israel. Stockholm and the EU came down hard on Iran for the hanging. It was the first publicly announced execution since the war started on February 28.
Iran carrying executions to create fear, experts say
"We are deeply concerned about the risk of mass executions of protesters and political prisoners in the shadow of war," said Iran Human Rights (IHR). It added that "these executions are carried out to spread fear in the society". The body said that the "Islamic Republic knows that the main threat to its survival comes from the Iranian people demanding fundamental change."
Iran killed thousands in Jan-Dec anti-regime protests
Iran came down hard on the protesters who demanded regime change amid a terrible economy, a falling rial, and corruption. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) estimates more than 7,000 people were killed in the protests, but the number could be much higher. Doctor accounts from Iran peg the number to be around 50,000.
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