Iran executes two more men in connection with protests

Iran executed two men convicted of allegedly killing a security official during protests that erupted across the country, following the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Jina Mahsa Amini while in custody of the country's moral police.

The two men were hanged on Saturday were identified by Iran's judiciary as Mohammad Karami and Mohammad Hosseini. They were convicted of killing Ruhollah Ajamian who was a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's volunteer Basij Force.

Besides Karami and Hosseini, the judiciary sentenced three others to death and 11 others to prison in relation to the same case. Two men have already been executed in December 2022, sparking global outrage.

"Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, principle perpetrators of the crime that led to the unjust martyrdom of Ruhollah Ajamian were hanged this morning," the judiciary said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

Iran's judicial proceedings under scrutiny

The tribunals in Iran do not allow those on trial to choose their own lawyers or even see the evidence against them.

Footage was aired by the state TV showing Karami and Hosseini talking about the attack, however, activists allege that the broadcaster has for years aired what they describe as coerced confessions.

Human rights organisation, Amnesty International has said the trials ''bore no resemblance to a meaningful judicial proceeding.''

Since the protests began in September, courts have sentenced 14 people to death in connection with the demonstrations.

Of these, four have been executed, two others have had their sentences confirmed by the Supreme Court while six are awaiting new trials and two others can appeal.