ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian authorities have executed another protester detained during the January anti-government demonstrations, the judiciary said, accusing him of killing a security forces member during the unrest.
Fathaoolah Avari, who was detained in Hamedan city during the January protests, was accused of stabbing police officer Major Mahmoudjavad Bakhshian on January 8 at the height of the demonstrations.
The Iranian judiciary said that Avari was hanged without specifying when the execution took place. The Hengaw Human Rights Organization said Avari was executed on Tuesday and was not allowed to see his family for the last time.
Thousands of protesters were gunned down by security forces on January 8 and 9 across Iran, including in Hamedan. At least 30 protesters and political prisoners have also been hanged since February 28, when the US and Israel launched an extensive aerial campaign against Tehran, targeting over 17,000 locations across the country.
“While Major Mohammadjavad Bakhshian was lying on the ground, someone in the crowd used a knife to stab him in the side, causing severe bleeding,” Mizan, the judiciary’s media outlet, said. “After Fathollah Avari was arrested and his residence searched, the murder weapon — a knife, a bloodstained black hoodie, and the same white sneakers seen in CCTV footage from the scene were found.”
Iran has repeatedly used executions as a tool of state repression to stifle dissent.
Thousands of protesters were detained during the anti-government protests across the country, with at least 70 protesters awaiting execution, according to Amnesty International.
At least 32 political prisoners, including protesters, have been executed in recent weeks, with authorities stating they will not refrain from executing those who assisted Israel and the US during the protests and the six-week war that began on February 28.
