Second protester executed in Iran

Iran has announced the execution of a second man arrested amid protests across the country. The man was convicted of stabbing two members of the security forces and injuring four others in Mashhad on November 17. The accusation was “Moharabeh” – “War against God”. That’s the death penalty.

A report by the Misan news portal, which is subordinate to the judiciary, gave no motive for the alleged attack. The now executed man was arrested while trying to flee abroad.

State television broadcast video footage allegedly showing him stabbing a man and then running away. The Misan report identified the dead as “student” basij, paramilitary volunteers commanded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards who were deployed in major cities to attack and arrest protesters.

Misan further reported that the man had been convicted in the Mashhad Revolutionary Court. The tribunals have been widely criticized internationally for not allowing defendants to choose lawyers or see the evidence presented against them.

First execution sharply criticized internationally

The first execution in connection with the current protests took place on Thursday. A rapper is also said to have attacked a Basij member with a gun, causing terror and blocking a road. His execution was sharply condemned at home and abroad.

The protests were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16 after her arrest by the vice squad. They have become one of the greatest challenges to Iran’s theocracy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Many executions could follow

Activists warn that more executions could follow. At least a dozen people have been sentenced to death for taking part in the demonstrations behind closed doors. At least 488 people have been killed since the demonstrations began, according to Iranian human rights activists. Another 18,200 people were arrested.

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