A man was publicly hanged in Iran on Monday, the second execution the country has carried out over protest-related crimes, the Associated Press reported.
Majidreza Rahnavard was hung from a construction crane after being found guilty of allegedly stabbing two members of Iran’s paramilitary force, known as Basij, in November, according to the Associated Press. In a heavily edited recording of his trial which aired after his execution, Rahnavard appeared to state that his hatred for the Basij formed after seeing social media posts showing the paramilitary allegedly beating and killing protestors, AP reported.
While Iran does not typically execute via hanging from public crane, its usage appears to be motivated as a warning to those continuing to protest, AP news stated. Those condemned to die by this method are lifted off the ground, hanging by the rope until they asphyxiate or until their necks break, the outlet explained.
Iran: the second execution of protesters. #MajidrezaRahnvard, 23 years old. There is no due process; it’s not Justice. It’s pure political revenge. It’s criminal. #MahsaAmini #مهسا_امینی #مجیدرضا_رهنورد #IranRevolution2022 pic.twitter.com/eucorgQBac
— Omid Memarian (@Omid_M) December 12, 2022
Like many others before him since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Rahnavard was reportedly charged with “waging war against God” or “moharebeh,” which carries with it the punishment of death, the AP noted. Activists believe that at least a dozen more protestors have been sentenced to death in similar closed-door hearings with another 18,200 detained by authorities since mid-September, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Iran Holds First Public Execution Since Mass Demonstrations Rocked Country)
Rahnavard was tried and convicted in Mashhad’s Revolutionary Court, a tribunal that has been criticized at the international level for its alleged lack of due process — defendants are reportedly not permitted to pick their own lawyers or see the evidence against them, according to the AP.
In the wake of this latest execution, foreign ministers from the European Union (EU) issued a new series of sanctions against Iran with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock describing it as “a blatant attempt at intimidation” of Iranians, the AP reported.
“We are making clear that we stand beside innocent people in Iran. A system that treats its people in this way cannot expect to continue to have halfway normal relations with the European Union,” Baerbock warned, according to the AP.