Iran Executes Two Convicted Members of Banned Opposition Group

Iran Executes Two Men Convicted of PMOI/MEK Membership

Two men, Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian, have been executed in Iran after the country’s Supreme Court upheld their sentences. The executions took place on Saturday morning.

Montazer and Baniamerian were convicted of being members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), a banned opposition group. They were also found guilty of “armed rebellion through involvement in multiple terrorist acts”.

The Iranian judiciary website, Mizan Online, reported that Montazer and Baniamerian were hanged after their trial and sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court.

Four other men convicted of PMOI/MEK membership were executed on March 30 and 31. The names of those executed have been confirmed as Mohammad Taghavi, Akbar Daneshvarkar, Babak Alipour, and Pouya Ghobadi.

The group condemned the executions in a statement, calling them a “futile” attempt to suppress opposition. Rights groups, including Amnesty International, have criticized the spate of hangings, accusing Iranian authorities of torturing the men while they were held in prison.

Amnesty International has also raised concerns about the potential for further executions, including those of protesters arrested during mass antigovernment demonstrations in January. The organization has warned that the death penalty is being used to “eradicate dissenting voices and terrify people”.

In recent weeks, Iran has executed several individuals, including Kouroush Keyvani, a dual Iranian-Swedish national convicted on charges of spying for Israel.

Source: Al Jazeera