More Iranians face possible execution as authorities seek to crush continuing unrest

 The Iranian government has executed two people since protests erupted in September, following the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of Iran's so-called "morality police."

On Dec. 8, Mohsen Shekari, 23, was the first to be put to death. He was hanged after taking part in protests in Tehran. Four days later, Majid-Reza Rahnavard, also 23, was executed publicly — his body was hanged from a crane in the northeastern city of Mashhad. Like Shekari, he was convicted of "waging war against God," a capital offense.

The executions are Tehran's main response to protests that swept the country since Amini's death, and they signal that Iran's clerical leadership feels it has few options other than brute force to quell the unrest.

A pro-government TV channel aired audio that was described as Rahnavard's confession to police. NPR could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the audio.

"Unfortunately, my own arrow hit my brother," the recording says — seen as a reference to the Basij militia members Rahnavard was convicted of fatally stabbing. 

The government continues to try to quell the anti-regime demonstrations, which began as an expression of public outrage at Amini's killing but quickly transformed into calls for the toppling of Iran's cleric-led regime.

Official efforts to punish those linked to the unrest are also continuing.

The deputy head of Allameh University in Tehran told Iran's Mehr news agency that some 20 students were banned from taking classes after they participated in a Dec. 7 rally.

"These students are people who insisted on continuing their path and did not appreciate our tolerant behavior," the university official is quoted as saying.

The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights says at least 469 people have been killed in unrest since the demonstrations began, including 63 children.

The number of prisoners is much larger. Rights groups estimate at least 18,000 people have been detained, with at least 39 seen as at risk of receiving a death sentence or being executed.

Among those detained is actress Taraneh Alidoosti, star of The Salesman, which won the best foreign-language film Oscar in 2017. A statement from Iran's judiciary said several celebrities including Alidoosti had been summoned for "unsubstantiated comments about recent events" and for publishing "provocative material in support of street riots."