Iran hangs man convicted of killing clerics in April attack

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran on Monday morning hanged a man convicted of killing two clerics in a stabbing attack in April at a revered Shiite shrine, the country's state television reported.

The report says the death penalty was carried out by hanging after the country’s Supreme Court upheld a verdict issued earlier by a Revolutionary Court in northeastern city of Mashhad, the place of the attack.

The convicted man was identified as Abdollatif Moradi and authorities said he had stabbed three clerics.

Two died, one instantly, the other later in a hospital. No further details were available following the attack at the city’s Imam Reza shrine, a rare act of violence at the major pilgrimage site for Shiite Muslims.

However, Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency said Moradi was an Uzbek national who had entered Iran illegally through Pakistan a year ago.

The police have not offered a motive for the stabbing. The country's interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, at the time described it as a “terrorist attack" and vowed Iran would pursue the perpetrators and all "takfiris,” a term used for Sunni extremists who consider other Muslims infidels.

Four other suspects were arrested on charges of collaboration in the attack.

Source: The Associated Press, Staff, June 20, 2022

Man Executed in “Presence of Group of Citizens” in Mashhad Central Prison

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); June 20, 2022: Abdol Latif Moradi, an Afghan national arrested for charges of moharebeh (enmity against God) for an attack in a shrine that led to two clerics’ deaths 77 days ago, was executed in Mashhad Central Prison “in the presence of a group of citizens” today.

According to the Judiciary’s Mizan news agency which has quoted Khorasan Razavi judicial officials, an Afghan man was executed in “the presence of a group of citizens” in Mashhad Central Prison on June 20. His identity has been reported as Abdol Latif Moradi who was sentenced to death on charges of “moharebeh through drawing a weapon on people with the intention of inciting and creating terror that has caused insecurity in the (Motahar Razavi) shrine and even outside it."

The official report states that the attack led to the death of two and injury of a third cleric.

Ofogh news agency has reported that Abdol Latif Moradi was an Afghan national.

Following his arrest 77 days ago (April 5), he was sentenced to death by Branch One of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court after a public trial. The sentence was upheld by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court and immediately sent for implementation.

According to officials, Abdol Latif Moradi’s execution was “carried out in the presence of a group of citizen and officials by hanging in Mashhad Central Prison (Vakilabad).”

That the legal proceedings and formalities took just 77 days from arrest to execution raises serious concerns about breaches of his due process and fair trial rights.

Due to their vague definitions, the charges of moharebeh (enmity against god), efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) and baghy (armed rebellion) are used for a wide range of offences.

Additionally, as they are within the Revolutionary Courts’ jurisdiction, there is considerable subjectivity in the judgements made in the cases.

In 2021, at least 13 people were executed on charges of moharebeh, efsad-fil-arz and baghy. Of those executed in 2021 and those currently at risk of execution, the majority are ethnic minorities. Of the 13 people executed on security-related charges in 2021, 4 were Arabs, 4 Baluch and one Kurdish.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, June 20, 2022

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