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On the 8th, Iran executed three new men in connection with anti-government protests in January. Iranian state media reported. The three were accused of causing an "armed disturbance" during anti-government protests.
According to Iran's state-run Tasnim news agency, the three people executed were Hassan Dioband, Hamid Kazemi, and Reza Zanganeh. He was charged with throwing petrol bombs and grenades, using knives and firearms, and setting fire to public buildings in the city of Karaj, west of the capital Tehran.
Iran has carried out a series of executions related to anti-government protests, including those suspected of having ties to Israel or the United States.
The number of executions in Iran has increased since the US and Israeli attacks began in late February.
Protests against high prices evolved into anti-government protests
The protests began in December last year over the soaring cost of living. The protests then quickly evolved into large-scale protests against the government, peaking on January 8 and 9 this year.
According to Iranian authorities, more than 3,000 people have died in the protests. Authorities denounced the violence as a "terrorist act" orchestrated by the United States and Israel.
Meanwhile, non-governmental organizations based outside the country have reported a higher death toll than Iranian authorities have announced. The BBC also received testimony from multiple Iranians that security forces opened fire on unarmed protesters.
According to Tasnim news agency, Iran's Supreme Court upheld the convictions of the three men. The three men were found guilty of "participating in operations on behalf of Israel's Zionist regime, the United States, and hostile forces," and were executed.
The damage attributed to the trio also included an attack on an electrical substation in Karaj. This is said to have caused power outages in some areas.
Diobando, who was executed on the 8th, was arrested on January 11th after an investigation revealed that he was suspected of being involved in attacks on public property and inciting violence.
Ten other people who allegedly took part in the riot at Diobando's direction were later arrested.
According to Reuters, each of the 10 men was sentenced to five to 10 years in prison.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is concerned about the rise in the death penalty
The executions came as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed concern about the increasing number of death sentences in Iran.
Turk revealed in August that at least 56 people had been executed for crimes related to national security since March 19. Of these, 27 are related to anti-government protests that spread across Iran in January.
Iran is said to be the country with the second highest number of executions after China. At least 2,159 people were executed in Iran last year, according to the international human rights organization Amnesty International.
This is the highest number since 1981, the group said. Last year's number of executions included 45 people believed to be dissidents who were charged with national security-related crimes.
(English article: Iran executes three men for 'armed unrest' after January protests)
