According to the Fars news agency, Iranian authorities have executed two people convicted of killing police officers during demonstrations held in January. The state media report claims these individuals tied officers to a signpost in Isfahan’s Shahid Alikhani Square on January 18 before attacking them with stones and setting them on fire using gasoline. Furthermore, the reports describe the victims being stabbed with knives and machetes while still alive.
The United Nations human rights office reports that at least 12 young men were sentenced to death in connection to the deaths of four security staff at that square, with two others executed on July 19. Warning that judicial proceedings appear to violate fair trial standards, the UN has demanded a halt to these capital punishments. Current reports indicate at least 24 people have been executed throughout the year related to these protests.
Discrepancies exist regarding total protest casualties. While the Iranian government acknowledges 3,117 deaths, the US-based HRANA group claims more than 7,000 fatalities. Meanwhile, UN Special Rapporteur on Iran Mai Sato has noted that the death toll could exceed 20,000, though verification remains difficult due to government-imposed internet blackouts.
