An Iranian court has sentenced three suspects to death for murdering officials and conducting operations that aided the United States and Israel during protests earlier this year, while human rights organizations report that the death toll exceeds 7,000.
Mizan Online, the news website of Iran's judiciary, revealed that authorities executed three suspects by hanging this morning (19 Mar) after the court found them guilty of murdering police officers and conducting operations that benefited the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel) amid unrest during protests earlier this year.
The three suspects were executed for the crime of "Moharebeh" (waging war against God) due to killing two officers during the disturbances in January, or Dey month according to the Iranian calendar. This execution marks the first directly linked to the large-scale protests.
The protests originated from public dissatisfaction over rising living costs, escalating into anti-government demonstrations that peaked in violence on 8-9 January.
The Iranian government acknowledged that the unrest resulted in over 3,000 deaths, including security personnel and innocent civilians, blaming all violence on "rioters taking orders from foreign entities" and acts of terrorism.
However, this figure contrasts with data from the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which reports verified deaths exceeding 7,000, mostly protesters. The actual death toll may be much higher due to ongoing disappearances and a lack of transparency in judicial processes in many areas.