[JURIST] Two Iranians were executed Thursday and nine others have been sentenced to death for their roles in last summer’s post-election protests, according to the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA). The two executed men, identified as Momammed Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour, were convicted on charges of mohareb, or being enemies of God, and had earlier been appeared in televised show trials. Amnesty International (AI) condemned the executions, saying, “hese shocking executions show that the Iranian authorities will stop at nothing to stamp out the peaceful protests that persist since the election.”
Earlier this month, Iran’s Prosecutor-General Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei called for sedition trials against leaders of protests following last June’s contested presidential election. The Iranian government has faced significant international scrutiny for its handling of the post-election protests and treatment of thousands arrested as a result. Last month, AI labeled human rights violations committed by the Iranian government following the election among the worst of the past 20 years. In September, human rights groups called for the UN General Assembly to appoint a special envoy to investigate allegations of rights violations. Alleged human rights abuses of detainees include sexual assault, beatings, and forced confessions.