Iran executes man over 2022 protests as rights groups condemn forced confessions

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WEB DESK: Iran on Saturday executed a man convicted of killing a security officer during unrest triggered by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, the judiciary’s Mizan news site reported.

The man, identified as Mehran Bahramian, was accused of being part of a group that attacked a security forces vehicle in Semirom, Isfahan province, in December 2022. The incident led to the fatal shooting of officer Mohsen Rezai and left several others wounded.

According to Mizan, Bahramian’s conviction was upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court. His execution brings to at least ten the number of people hanged in connection with the protests that erupted after Amini’s death in morality police custody.

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Rights groups, however, sharply criticised the ruling, saying Iranian courts rely on confessions obtained under torture. Amnesty International has repeatedly warned that detainees are subjected to beatings, prolonged solitary confinement and threats against their families, with such coerced statements used as primary evidence in trials.

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Bahramian’s family has also been deeply scarred by the crackdown. His brother, Fazel Bahramian, has reportedly been sentenced to death on similar charges, while another brother, Morad, was killed by security forces during the 2022 protests.

The unrest began in September 2022 after Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman, died in custody for allegedly violating the country’s strict hijab laws. Her death ignited nationwide demonstrations under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom”, which grew into one of the largest challenges to Iran’s clerical establishment in decades.

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Despite the wave of executions, protests and anger over Amini’s death remain a rallying point for Iranians demanding greater freedoms. Human rights monitors continue to call for an end to capital punishment for protesters, arguing that the trials fail to meet international standards of fairness.