Iran publicly executes a 23-year-old man days after his arrest

A 23-year-old man, Majidreza Rahnavard, was publicly hung from a construction crane in Iran on Monday, less than a month after his arrest for the alleged killing of two members of the paramilitary force.

Rahnavard is the second person to be executed over the country’s ongoing anti-government protests.

A court convicted Rahnavard of “enmity against God” after he was accused of stabbing two members of the Basij Resistance Force, a parliamentary organization operating under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

He was executed in the city of Mashhad 23 days after his arrest.

According to the activist collective 1500tasvir, Rahnavard’s family was not notified of his execution.

“We have killed your son and buried his body in Behesht-e Reza cemetery,” Iranian officials reportedly told his family.

International human rights organizations have condemned Iran for fast-tracking executions through its judicial system after what Amnesty called “grossly unfair sham” trials.

The judiciary’s news agency Mizan posted gruesome photos purporting to show Rahnvard’s public execution to serve as a warning to demonstrators.

Protests against the Iranian regime began in September after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly wearing her headscarf incorrectly, died in custody.

Since then, more than 18,000 demonstrators have been arrested, according to activist news agency HRANA. Twelve people linked to the protests have been sentenced to death, according to Amnesty International.

Mohsen Shekari, 23, was the first protester to be executed on Dec. 8, less than three months after being arrested. He was also convicted under the charge of “enmity against God” and according to activists, was denied access to lawyer through the hastened judicial proceedings.

Iran has carried out the second most executions in the world, behind China. More than 250 people have been executed in Iran in the first six months of 2022.