Iran executed 3 men linked to political protests in January, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency said on Monday. The men were Mehdi Rassouli, Mohammad Reza Miri and Ebrahim Dolatabadi, according to the report. [1]
Human Rights Activists News Agency said Rassouli and Miri were hanged at dawn on Sunday at Vakilabad prison in Mashhad. The group said the unrest in Mashhad was tied to protests that began in December, spread into nationwide rallies and peaked on the nights of 8 and 9 January. [1]
Iran Human Rights said 24 political prisoners had been executed since executions resumed in March during the war against the US and Israel. The group said Rassouli and Miri were 25 and 21 years old. [1]
The executions came after Amnesty International said on 1 May that the international community must “not stand idly by while the Iranian authorities continue to escalate the arbitrary execution of political dissidents and protesters to instil fear.” Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights, said the international community, especially the European Union, must “respond decisively to this ongoing wave of executions.” He added that unless the political cost was raised through clear and strong international reactions, there was a serious risk of daily executions continuing in the weeks and months ahead. [1]
Mizan announced the executions on Monday, and human rights groups said they were part of a wider crackdown linked to the January unrest. [1]
