Iranian authorities executed two men on Monday after convicting them of membership in a banned opposition group and attempting to overthrow the Islamic Republic, according to the country’s judiciary.
The Mizan Online website reported that, following confirmation and final approval of the sentences by the Supreme Court, Akbar Daneshvarkar and Mohammad Taghavi-Sangdehi were hanged earlier in the day.
The executions come amid heightened tensions in the region, as Iran remains at war with the United States and Israel following strikes on February 28 that escalated into a wider regional conflict.
The two men were affiliated with the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), an exiled opposition group since the 1980s, designated a terrorist organisation by Tehran. Mizan reported that the men had taken part in “riots and urban terrorist actions,” though details about their arrest or links to recent protests were not immediately disclosed.
They were charged with participating in “terrorist acts,” attempting to overthrow the Islamic Republic, and threatening national security.
Protests in Iran began in late December over rising living costs and escalated into nationwide anti-government demonstrations in early January. Authorities have described the unrest as initially peaceful but later hijacked by “foreign-instigated riots,” resulting in killings and vandalism.
Tehran reports that more than 3,000 people, including security personnel and civilians, were killed during the unrest. In contrast, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has documented over 7,000 deaths, most of them protesters, warning that the true toll could be even higher.
