Hundreds of people were killed during the 2022 protests, including members of the security forces [GETTY]
Iran on Saturday executed a man accused of killing a security officer during unrest sparked by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, the judiciary’s Mizan website reported.
Rights groups say authorities often rely on forced confessions obtained under torture to convict protesters.
Mehran Bahramian was found to have been among a group of people who opened fire on a vehicle carrying security personnel in the city of Semirom in the central province of Isfahan, killing officer Mohsen Rezaei and injuring others, the judiciary’s Mizan Online news website said.
His death sentence, handed down by the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan, was upheld by the Supreme Court, and the sentence was carried out in the early morning, Mizan reported.
The court charged Bahramian with the capital offence of “moharebeh”, waging war against God, for shooting at the security vehicle and inciting people to attack governmental buildings and personnel, the report said, describing Bahramian as a “thug”.
Saturday’s execution brings to at least 10 the number of people hanged over the protests that erupted in mid-September 2022 after 22-year-old Amini died in the custody of Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the hijab law.
Her death triggered nationwide demonstrations under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom“.
Rights groups said Bahramian’s brother, Fazel, was also sentenced to death on the same charges. Their brother Morad Bahramian was killed by security forces during the 2022 protests.
Hundreds of people were killed during the 2022 protests, including members of the security forces. Thousands more were arrested.
Iran has since tried and executed several people detained during the unrest.
In June, the authorities hanged Abbas Kurkuri after convicting him of killing seven people during the protests.
Amnesty International says confessions extracted through beatings, prolonged solitary confinement and threats against detainees and their families are routinely used as evidence in court.