IRAN AFFAIRS: Iran’s campaign of executions is part of a wider attempt to reverse the defiance of January, dismantle protest networks, and reassert control over society.
At dawn on July 28, the Islamic Republic of Iran publicly hanged Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi in Alikhani Square in Isfahan. Security forces had filled the square overnight, and videos circulating online appeared to show people gathering in an attempt to stop the executions, before they were dispersed, with several reportedly injured and arrested. The two men had been detained during January’s uprising and convicted in a mass case involving clashes in the square, the deaths of security personnel, and allegations of weapons possession and property destruction.
At dawn on July 28, the Islamic Republic of Iran publicly hanged Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi in Alikhani Square in Isfahan. Security forces had filled the square overnight, and videos circulating online appeared to show people gathering in an attempt to stop the executions, before they were dispersed, with several reportedly injured and arrested. The two men had been detained during January’s uprising and convicted in a mass case involving clashes in the square, the deaths of security personnel, and allegations of weapons possession and property destruction.
Rights groups said the convictions followed torture, forced confessions, and denial of independent legal representation. The two men were hanged at the same location where they had allegedly protested against the regime. Four days later, guards at Shahrud Prison hanged Arvin Kheirkhahan, a young man arrested during the same uprising, without informing his family in advance. His relatives were instructed to collect his body in the early hours and bury him at 5 a.m. under security supervision. The judiciary issued no public announcement. (Read More)
