Iran executes two men convicted for 'burning Quran'
Iran executes two men convicted for 'burning Quran'
Iran executed two people on Monday who were convicted of blasphemy, said the judiciary.
The two men were hanged to death in the morning over 'burning the Quran' and 'insulting the Prophet of Islam' at Arak Prison in central Iran.
The judiciary's Mizan Online website reported that Sadrollah Fazeli Zare and Yousef Mehrdad were involved in crimes, including insulting the religion of Islam, the prophet and other sanctities.
The two were running dozens of online anti-religion platforms dedicated to the hatred of Islam, Mizan reported.
One of the accused, in March 2021, had allegedly confessed to publishing content on his social media account, admitting to the insults that were committed, it added.
The two men were detained in 2020 and were condemned for running a Telegram channel called "Criticism of Superstition and Religion", BBC reported, citing Iran's Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
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Human rights groups condemned Iran for failing to provide fair trials and insulting freedom of expression.
"The execution of Yousef and Sadrollah for 'insulting the Prophet' is not only a cruel act by a medieval regime, but it is also a serious insult to the freedom of expression," said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Norway-based group Iran Human Rights.
"These executions must be a turning point in the relations between the Islamic Republic and countries respecting the freedom of expression," he added. "Lack of a strong reaction by the international community sends a green light to the Islamic Republic and their ideological allies worldwide."
Meanwhile, United Nations experts have called on majority Shi'ite Muslim Iran to stop persecution and harassment of religious minorities, highlighting an Iranian policy of targeting dissenting beliefs or religious practices, including Christian converts and atheists.
According to rights groups, including Amnesty International, Iran executes more people yearly than any other nation except China.
In 2022, the country executed 75 per cent more people than the previous year, as per two rights groups.
US names Iran, China as countries of particular concern over religious freedom
Last year, the United States designated China, Iran and Russia as countries of particular concern under the Religious Freedom Act over severe violations.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement saying that those designated as countries of particular concern, engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom.
"Around the world, governments and non-state actors harass, threaten, jail, and even kill individuals on account of their beliefs," Blinken said in the statement.
"The United States will not stand by in the face of these abuses."
(With inputs from agencies)
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