Iranian authorities executed two men in Isfahan following mass protests and economic crisis.
Iranian authorities executed two men in Isfahan on Tuesday in connection with the protests that began in late December. The men were executed for their alleged involvement in the killing of police officers during the nationwide unrest. This action follows a period of heavy security deployment around Alikhani Square, where an iron scaffold was erected to facilitate the public executions. The executions are part of a ongoing wave of executions by the judiciary, which has now carried out at least 27 deaths for the protests. The mass protests were triggered by the country's economic crisis and grew into a demonstration against the authoritarian leadership. While the state suppressed the protests violently, human rights groups have criticized the user of the death penalty as a tool of intimidation. Last year, Iran executed at least 2,159 people, marking the highest figure since 1981.