Death sentence to three more in Iran

Dubai, January 9

Iran hanged two other men on Saturday, one of them a karate champion with several national titles, in its attempts to stamp out demonstrations, which have slowed considerably since it began carrying out executions within weeks of arrests.

Mizan said Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeid Yaghoubi, who had been convicted of allegedly killing members of the volunteer Basij militia during anti-government protests in the central city of Isfahan, could appeal against their verdicts.

The Basij forces, affiliated with the elite Revolutionary Guards, have been at the forefront of the state clampdown on the unrest sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran’s morality police on September 16.

Pope Francis condemned Iran for using the death penalty on demonstrators. “The right to life is also threatened in those places where death penalty continues to be imposed, as is the case in Iran, following the demonstrations demanding greater respect for the dignity of women,” Francis said. — Reuters

Pope flays move

• Pope Francis on Monday condemned Iran for using the death penalty
• “The right to life is also threatened in those places where the death penalty continues to be imposed,” he said
• Rights activists see harsh crackdown as an attempt to intimidate protesters

#Dubai