Iran Executes Two Opposition Members

Iran executed two men on Saturday who were believed to be members of a banned opposition group and had carried out actions aimed at destabilising the Islamic Republic, according to the judiciary.

The executions are the latest involving individuals accused of links to the banned People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK).

Earlier in the week, four others, who were also believed to be members of the group, were executed.

The developments come in the face of heightened tensions following a conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel that reported US-Israeli strikes on February 28 that Iranian authorities say killed the country’s supreme leader and triggered broader regional instability.

According to the judiciary’s Mizan Online website, the two men, identified as Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian, were executed after their convictions and death sentences were upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court.

“Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian … were hanged after trial and their sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said on Saturday.

Judicial authorities said the men were found guilty of charges including rebellion, which they alleged involved participation in multiple attacks and acts of sabotage linked to the MEK.

Iran Executes Two Opposition Members. Credit: LBCI

The report did not specify when the two men were arrested.

The MEK supported Iran’s 1979 revolution but later fell out with the country’s leadership in the 1980s and has since operated largely from exile.

The Iranian government designates the group as a terrorist organisation.

Iran carries out one of the highest numbers of executions globally, according to international human rights organisations.

In recent months, several executions have been reported in connection with security-related cases.

On Thursday, authorities announced the execution of a man convicted of cooperating with Israel and the United States during anti-government protests earlier this year.

On March 19, three other individuals convicted of killing police officers during the protests were also executed.

Sweden and the European Union condemned Iran’s execution in early March of Kouroush Keyvani, a dual Iranian-Swedish national who was allegedly spying for Israel.

Author

Jimisayo Opanuga

Jimisayo Opanuga is a web writer in the Digital Department at News Central TV, where she covers African and international stories. Her reporting focuses on social issues, health, justice, and the environment, alongside general-interest news. She is passionate about telling stories that inform the public and give voice to underreported communities.