Iran on Monday executed a man convicted of acting on behalf of Israel and the United States during a wave of anti-government protests earlier this year, according to the country’s judiciary.
The judiciary’s official website, Mizan Online, identified the man as Ali Fahim, describing him as “one of the enemy elements” involved in unrest that took place in January. It said he was executed after the Supreme Court reviewed and upheld his sentence.
Authorities said Fahim was convicted of working against the state on behalf of what they described as “the Zionist regime and the United States,” as well as breaching a classified military facility to seize weapons.
The execution is the latest linked to protests that began in late December over rising living costs before evolving into nationwide demonstrations against the government. The protests reportedly peaked in early January.
The development comes amid heightened tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States following a conflict that erupted on February 28, according to the report.
Iranian authorities maintain that the protests initially started peacefully but later turned into what they described as “foreign-instigated riots” marked by violence, killings, and vandalism.
Tehran says more than 3,000 people, including security personnel and civilians, were killed during the unrest, attributing the deaths to “terrorist acts.” However, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports a significantly higher toll, claiming over 7,000 deaths, most of them protesters, and suggesting the figure could be higher.
Source: AFP
