Iran executes man accused of aiding the US and Israel during protests

The judiciary reported that Majid Adineh was sentenced for “operational actions in favor of hostile groups” during the mass protests that erupted in the country at the end of last year.

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He is one of a number of individuals who have been executed for protests sparked by economic hardships in Iran.

M. Adineh was charged with “intentional arson, assembly, and conspiracy to commit crimes against the country’s internal security,” the judiciary system website “Mizan Online” reported on Sunday.

“Based on extensive case documents, evidence, and the accused’s own statements, the Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death and ordered the confiscation of all his property,” the report added.

M. Adineh’s appeal was rejected, and the Supreme Court upheld the verdict. The death sentence was carried out on Sunday morning, Mizan stated.

He and another suspect were arrested on January 9 in Alborz province, west of Tehran. They were found with “a revolver, ammunition, two stun guns, two tear gas canisters, a battery-powered chainsaw, and a bottle of gasoline,” Mizan added.

The protest movement at the end of December last year was initially triggered by dissatisfaction with high living costs but quickly turned into widespread anti-government protests, peaking on January 8–9.

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Iranian officials reported more than 3,000 deaths during these unrests and attributed the violence to “terrorist acts” allegedly instigated by the US and Israel.

The number of death sentences in Iran has increased since the start of the Middle East war, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes against Iran.

A large portion of these death sentences are related to the protests, while other cases are connected to the war.

Last year, Iranian officials executed at least 1,639 people – the highest number since 1989, according to the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights and the Paris-based organization Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM).

According to Amnesty International, Iran ranks second in the world for the number of executions carried out, after China.

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