Last month, the parents of one of those executed posted a video on social media pleading with the authorities to spare him.
On the morning of Saturday, January 7, Iran executed two more protesters who swept the country after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by the so-called morality police. Mohammad Mehdi Karami, 21, and Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, 20, were hanged.
This is reported by CNN with reference to the Iranian edition of Fars News.
Both death row inmates were accused of allegedly killing a member of Iran's “people's militia,” the Basij paramilitary group, during protests against the regime last year.
Karami was convicted on December 5, less than a week after the trial began. His family claims he was tortured in prison and denied access to a lawyer. Due to the lack of a defender, he went on a dry hunger strike last Wednesday. Before his execution, Karami was not given the opportunity to communicate with his family.
21-year-old Karami was a national karate champion and was a member of the Iranian youth team.
Last month, Karami's parents posted a video on social media begging for mercy. His father said, “My son is one of the Iranian karate champions, has several national titles, and was the fourth-ranked member of the Iranian national team… I beg you, please cancel the death penalty order.”
Executed Mohammad Mehdi Karami's parents pleaded to the Iranian judiciary to spare their sons's life. Tonight they were camping outside of the Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj to see him. The guards dismissed the information about his execution as false rumours & asked them to go home pic.twitter.com/buiUUZ3QXl
— Rezan (@RezanLabady) January 7, 2023
Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, 20, worked as a volunteer coach for children. He was an orphan. Having lost both of his parents, Hosseini visited their graves every Thursday. On the way to the cemetery, he was arrested. He was sentenced to death at the same hearing as Karami.
The total number of people executed in Iran in connection with the protests has reached 4 people.
According to Iranian officials and Iranian media, 41 more protesters have received a death sentence in recent months, but the number could be much higher.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the European Union (EU) have called on Iran to stop all executions following the notification of the hanging of two more people.
Recall that on December 8, Iran executed the first participant in the protests, Mohsen Shekari, who was also accused of attacking a member of the pro-government paramilitary group Basij. On December 12, the second execution took place.
