{"id":139981,"date":"2026-06-01T08:39:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T08:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/139981\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T08:39:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T08:39:12","slug":"iran-hangs-two-protesters-for-giving-pretext-for-us-israeli-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/139981\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran hangs two protesters for giving ‘pretext’ for US-Israeli attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

TEHRAN, Iran \u2014 Iran on Monday hanged two men convicted of ransacking and burning a mosque during anti-government protests that shook the country in December and January.<\/p>\n

Since war broke out with Israel and the United States in February, Iran has ramped up executions, with many of the convicts hanged over the earlier protests.<\/p>\n

\u201cMehrdad Mohammadinia and Ashkan Maleki, the main perpetrators of the arson attack and destruction of a mosque, were hanged this morning,\u201d Iran\u2019s judiciary announced through its Mizan news agency.<\/p>\n

The report did not specify the date of their arrest or trial.<\/p>\n

At the end of December, a protest movement in Iran, sparked by anger over living costs, quickly broadened into widespread anti-government demonstrations.<\/p>\n

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The movement culminated on January 8 with huge protests that caused widespread damage. Authorities reacted with a brutal crackdown that left thousands of people dead.<\/p>\n

Iranian authorities accused \u201cterrorists\u201d working for the United States and Israel of instigating the violence, but nonprofits based abroad say Iranian security forces deliberately fired on protesters.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the face of the threat of a military attack by the United States and the Zionist regime, the actions of these individuals\u2026 served as a pretext for the military aggression\u201d in February, Mizan said, referring to the war.<\/p>\n

Iran is the world\u2019s second-most prolific executioner after China, according to rights groups including Amnesty International.<\/p>\n

Authorities executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, a record since 1989, according to Iran Human Rights, a nonprofit based in Norway.<\/p>\n

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.<\/p>\n


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