Iran executes three men linked to anti-government protests

Iranian authorities executed three men on Sunday following convictions related to anti-government protests that occurred in January. The New Straits Times reports that the executed men were Hassan Divband, Hamid Kazemi, and Reza Zanganeh, whose death sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court. According to the New Straits Times and the Jerusalem Post, the judiciary accused the men of carrying out operational activities on behalf of Israel, the United States, and hostile groups.

The Jerusalem Post reports that the defendants were involved in armed attacks, arson, and the destruction of public infrastructure in the city of Karaj, west of Tehran, on January 8 and 9. Specific allegations included attacking government buildings, destroying surveillance cameras, and damaging an electrical substation that caused power outages. The New Straits Times and The Times of Israel state that prosecutors claimed the men used firearms, grenades, knives, and Molotov cocktails.

The Jerusalem Post notes 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. In addition to the executions, the Jerusalem Post reports the court ordered the confiscation of the men's property, while the New Straits Times stated that other defendants in the case received prison sentences ranging from five to 10 years.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, Punch Nigeria, New Straits Times, Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.