Iran executed four men on Monday for their alleged involvement in planning sabotage and having links with Israel’s Mossad secret service, as reported by state media.
The official IRNA news agency stated that the four individuals were convicted of planning an attack on a factory belonging to Iran’s defense ministry in 2022, which was involved in missile and defense equipment production in the central city of Isfahan. According to the reports, the operation was allegedly orchestrated by Mossad, and the four men had received training from the Israeli agency in an African country before infiltrating Iran.
The executed individuals have been identified as Iranian nationals: Mohammad Faramarzi, Mohsen Mazloum, Vafa Azarbar, and Pejman Fatehi. Their executions were carried out following the Supreme Court’s affirmation of their death sentences, which were initially handed down by another court in September.
It’s worth noting that Iran has one of the highest execution rates globally, second only to China, according to Amnesty International. The preferred method of execution in Iran is hanging.
United Nations human rights chief, Volker Turk, criticized Iran’s execution practices, describing them as “abominable.” Turk noted that the country had a troubling track record of executions, with an average of more than 10 people being hanged every week.
A United Nations expert has too raised significant concerns regarding Iran’s escalating rate of executions. The expert expressed deep dismay at the sharp increase in executions within the country, with a reported total of at least 834 individuals executed in 2023, including eight individuals associated with nationwide protests.
