Iran Executes Two in Public Amid Rising Death Penalty Use

The Islamic Republic's authorities have executed two people in public. The executions come amidst a concerning trend of increasing use of the death penalty in the country.

Ebrahim Gamizi, the prosecutor of central Khomein, announced that the sentence of two "armed robbers responsible for the death of Second Lieutenant Morteza Barati” was carried out in public.

According to ISNA news agency, the execution took place on Monday morning in Khomein, located in the central Markazi Province.

The prosecutor said that on December 15, 2020, "the armed robbers engaged in a confrontation with police officers in the town.

During the chase, the robbers fired at the police, resulting in the death of Second Lieutenant Barati."

Gamizi added that following their arrest, the robbers were indicted on January 26, 2022, with charges of "waging war against God" and "corruption on Earth."

After investigations, the case was sent to court.

Amnesty International's report reveals that Iran has reached its highest level of death sentence executions in the past eight years.

In 2023 alone, the Islamic Republic's judiciary executed 853 people.

Of these executions, 481 were related to drug crimes, marking an 89 percent increase compared to 2022 and a staggering 264 percent increase compared to 2021.

Source: Iran Wire, Staff, September 30, 2024

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