Iran executes two blasphemy defendants

 

According to Iran's judiciary, two persons who had been found guilty of blasphemy were put to death. According to the judiciary's Mizan news agency, Youssef Mehrdad and Sadrollah Fazeli Zare were executed on Monday after being found guilty of insulting Islam and the Prophet.

The judiciary said that Mr. Mehrdad, a resident of Ardabil City, was the principal administrator of at least 15 organizations "in the field of anti-Islamism, promoting atheism, and insulting holy things" and served as the leader of an "anti-Islamic" online community.

According to the judiciary, Mr. Zare directed internet atheist advocacy groups. It claimed that the men's internet activity was conducted using Iranian and French phone numbers.

Except for China, Iran is the country that executes the most people. Last year, there were 75% more executions in Iran. Since December, it has executed four individuals by hanging for taking part in an anti-government protest movement sparked by Mahsa Amini's death in September.

The guys were charged with killing security personnel at the height of the government crackdown on protesters.

Rights organizations criticized Tehran for its quick, secretive court hearings that have been called sham trials. Iran has come under scrutiny for the death of numerous well-known individuals, including journalist Ruhollah Zam, who was enticed back to Iran. Iran frequently executes people guilty of drug and terrorism-related offences.

It killed Habib Chaab on Friday for "corruption on Earth," a crime that carries the death sentence and is frequently used against dual citizens and opposition figures.

According to the judiciary, he was the third dual citizen to get a death sentence or be put to death in Iran this year for reasons relating to national security.

Alireza Akbari, a former Iranian official with British citizenship who had been found guilty of espionage, was put to death in Tehran in January. German-Iranian Jamshid Sharmahd, 67, was sentenced to death in April for his involvement in a fatal mosque explosion in 2008. The death sentence was affirmed Iran's Supreme Court.