Iran carries out public hangings of two men convicted over January protests in Isfahan
Two men sentenced for alleged attacks on police during January demonstrations were publicly executed in Isfahan, prompting protests and criticism from human-rights officials.
Iran’s state media broadcast the public hanging of Amirhossein Safari and Abolfazl Sepahi, who were convicted of "waging war against God" and "corruption on earth" for alleged attacks on police officers during the January 8 protests in Isfahan’s Alikhani Square. The executions were carried out in the square on Tuesday morning, a move that human-rights groups say violates Iranian law requiring families to be notified in advance.
The two men were among 12 defendants tried in a closed-door proceeding that the UN special rapporteur on Iran described as falling short of fair-trial standards. The executions follow a series of deaths linked to the December-January unrest, which Tehran attributes to foreign-backed rioters, while rights organizations estimate more than 30,000 fatalities overall.
"It goes back to the self-confidence they've had since the end of the war. They believe they defeated Israel and the United States, and they also believe they ultimately crushed the protesters," said Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies.
International observers warned that the rapid, public nature of the hangings was intended to send a message to both domestic audiences and the global community. The UN and other experts have repeatedly cautioned that Iran’s current legal framework criminalizes criticism of the government and can be used to suppress dissent.
Family members of Safari were reportedly summoned for a final visit to the prison, while other detainees, including an 18-year-old arrested earlier this year, have been shown on state television confessing to alleged crimes without clear evidence of legal representation.