Two men have been hanged in Iran for allegedly killing a member of the military during nationwide protests.
Mohammad Mahdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini were found guilty of “corruption on earth” over their alleged involvement in the death of a paramilitary officer.
Human rights groups have denounced what they described as a “sham” trial.
The family of 22-year-old Mr Karami say they were not permitted to meet him before he was killed.
Prosecutors claimed paramilitary officer Ruhollah Ajamian was stripped naked and killed by a group of mourners paying their respects to a recently-killed protester.
Protests against Iran’s clerical establishment erupted in September following the death in custody of a woman who was detained by morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab, or headscarf, “improperly”.
At least 516 protesters have been killed so far, including 70 children, and 19,262 others arrested, according to the foreign-based Human Rights Activists’ News Agency (HRANA). It has also reported the deaths of 68 security personnel.
Many of those who have been detained after protests have reportedly been subjected to enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention, torture and other ill-treatment.
Iranian officials describe the protests as “riots” and have accused foreign powers of fuelling the unrest.
The men were first sentenced to death in December 2022 but they appealed against their sentences after they claimed they were tortured into making false confessions.
Lawyers representing Mr Hosseini said he was beaten and blindfolded while in prison.
“He was tasered and beaten on the soles of his feet with a metal rod,” Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani said.
