Iran executes three men linked to anti-government protests

Iranian authorities have executed three men convicted of carrying out operations on behalf of Israel and the United States during anti-government protests in January, the country’s judiciary has announced.

The death sentences against Hassan Divband, Hamid Kazemi and Reza Zanganeh were carried out on Sunday after being upheld by the Supreme  Court, the judiciary’s Mizan Online website reported.

According to the report, the three men were found guilty of “participating in operational activities on behalf of the Israeli Zionist regime, the United States and hostile groups” during the protests.

Mizan said the defendants threw Molotov cocktails and grenades, used bladed weapons and firearms, and set fire to public facilities in Karaj, a city west of Tehran.

Other defendants in the case received prison sentences ranging from five to 10 years, the report added.

The protest movement, which initially erupted in December over the rising cost of living, rapidly developed into widespread anti-government demonstrations that peaked on January 8 and 9.

Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths during the unrest, blaming the violence on what they described as “terrorist acts” orchestrated by the United States and Israel.

However, foreign-based non-governmental organisations have reported higher casualty figures and maintained that Iranian security forces fired on protesters.

The number of executions in Iran has increased since the outbreak of the Middle East war, which was triggered in late February by US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic.