Iran Executes Three Over Killings During Recent Unrest

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iran on Thursday executed three individuals convicted of killing police officers and carrying out operations in favor of the United States and Israel during recent nationwide unrest, according to the country’s judiciary.

The executions mark the first officially announced death sentences linked to protests that erupted in late December over rising living costs before escalating into widespread antigovernmental demonstrations across Iran.

In a statement published by the judiciary’s Mizan Online website, authorities said the three were hanged after being found guilty of murder and “operational actions” supporting foreign adversaries, including the United States and what it referred to as the “Zionist regime,” a term commonly used by Tehran to describe Israel.

The judiciary said the individuals were responsible for the killing of two law enforcement personnel and had been convicted of “moharebeh,” or “waging war against God,” a capital offense under Iranian law.

Iranian officials have maintained that the unrest began as peaceful protests before turning into what they described as “foreign-instigated riots,” marked by violence, vandalism, and attacks on security forces.

Authorities in Tehran say more than 3,000 people were killed during the unrest, including members of the security forces and civilians, attributing the deaths to what they call “terrorist acts.”

However, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, a U.S.-based monitoring group, has reported a significantly higher toll of more than 7,000 deaths, the majority of whom it says were protesters. The organization has warned that the actual number of casualties could be even higher.

The stark discrepancy in casualty figures underscores ongoing disputes over the scale and nature of the violence, as well as concerns raised by international rights groups regarding the handling of the protests and subsequent prosecutions.