Fearing new protests, Iran inspires 'terror' with public hanging: Rights group

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iranian authorities on Wednesday morning hung three men in a public event attended by children. The men, accused of being responsible for “armed robberies,” were executed almost one year after demonstrations enflamed the country, something a human rights group claims is no coincidence.

"As the anniversary of the countrywide protests nears," Tehran is "trying to prevent new [waves] of protests by performing public hangings" to cultivate "an atmosphere of fear and terror," said Mahmoud Amiri, spokesperson of Iran Human Rights (Iranhr), in a report published on the group’s website shortly after the incident.

The three put to death, listed as Siamak Eslami-Niya, Kurosh Qali-Zadeh, and Fuad Ghanemi, were executed for "Moharebeh by way of partaking in multiple armed robberies," Iran's semi-official media outlet ISNA later reported.

"Moharabeh" is a term used by Iran’s Islamic Judiciary to indicate taking up arms against the state, usually carrying the death penalty.

As the "event" began, a growing number of people gathered to observe, with dozens of children between the ages of three and 10 being brought closer by their parents, state-owned agency IRNA reported.

According to Iranhr’s statistics, Iran has executed 15 citizens on various charges in the past eight days.

Late in December 2017, Iranians took to the streets to protest the sluggish economy. The 2015 deal with world powers removed sanctions on Iran in return for the middle eastern nation ceasing its nuclear enrichment program, but the livelihoods of the majority of the population saw no improvement.

Although the demonstrators at first complained about the rate of poverty and discrimination, chants soon changed in nature.

"Death to Rouhani," and "Death to the dictator," people began to shout on the streets, referring to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Criticizing reformists and hardliners – the country's leading political factions – alike, the protests that started in the holy city of Mashhad soon spread to all other parts of Iran, including the Kurdish provinces of Kermanshah and Kurdistan.

By late January, the public movement was successfully suppressed by authorities. Since then, protests have become more sporadic and intermittent in nature, with only occasional strikes taking place.

Editing by John J. Catherine