Iran executes three men linked to anti-government protests

Iranian authorities executed three men, identified as Hassan Divband, Hamid Kazemi, and Reza Zanganeh, on Sunday following the Supreme Court's upholding of their death sentences. According to the judiciary, the men were convicted of conducting operations on behalf of Israel, the United States, and hostile groups during anti-government protests in January.

The Jerusalem Post reports that state media alleged the men acted as part of an Israeli-American plan to destabilize the country and followed calls for demonstrations by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.

The New Straits Times and the Jerusalem Post report that the executions followed convictions for participating in armed attacks, arson, and the destruction of public infrastructure in the city of Karaj. Specific allegations include the use of firearms, knives, grenades, and Molotov cocktails. The judiciary stated the defendants attacked government buildings, destroyed surveillance cameras, and damaged an electrical substation that caused power outages. The Jerusalem Post noted the court also ordered the confiscation of the men's property.

The protests, which were initially sparked by the high cost of living, reached a peak on January 8 and 9. While Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths and attributed the violence to terrorist acts orchestrated by the US and Israel, the New Straits Times reports that foreign-based NGOs have cited higher figures and maintain that Iranian security forces fired on protesters.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, New Straits Times, Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.