Authorities Execute Five More Iranians

Iranian authorities executed five more people in the cities of Karaj, Hamadan and Mashhad over the weekend, a human rights organization reported Monday amid a spike in executions in the Islamic Republic.

HRANA has disclosed the identities of the executed individuals in Hamadan prison as Hussein Amaninejad and Hamed Yavari. 

Both individuals were hanged on Sunday morning, June 11, following previous death sentences for their involvement in murder and drug-related crimes.

Additionally, the Iran Human Rights Organization reported the execution of Dariush Rahimi, a 33-year-old prisoner, in Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad on the same day. 

Rahimi was sentenced to death for the "deliberate murder" of a police officer during a robbery.

Masoud Sasani and Saeed Nasiri, both 37 years old were executed on Saturday, June 10. Their death sentences were related to drug-related offenses as part of a joint case.

A recently published report by Amnesty International says the Islamic Republic executed at least 576 people last year, an increase of 83 percent compared to 2021.

"The Iranian authorities continued to use the death penalty as a tool of political repression and to disproportionately execute members of ethnic minorities as part of the long-term, entrenched discrimination and repression of these groups," the London-based human rights organization said.

Of the recorded executions, 48 percent were for murder, 44 percent were for drug-related offences, 21 were for rape, 18 were for "waging was against God" and three were for unknown crimes.

Amid a spike in executions in recent weeks, the Islamic Republic arbitrarilly executed three protesters on May 19, sparking an outcry both inside and outside Iran.

The Islamic Republic has cracked down hard on last year’s widespread protests demanding fundamental economic, social and political changes. 

More than 520 people were killed during demonstrations and over 20,000 others were unlawfully detained, activists say. Following biased trials, the judiciary has handed down stiff sentences to protesters.