In response to an October attack on the revered Shiite Muslim shrine of Shah Cheragh, Iran carried out the public hangings of two men on Saturday, as announced by the judiciary. The attack, which occurred on October 26, was claimed by the Sunni Muslim extremist group Islamic State (IS) and resulted in the deaths of 13 people, with 30 others wounded.
The judiciary’s Mizan Online website confirmed the execution of two individuals involved in the terrorist attack. The hanging took place at dawn on a street near the Shah Cheragh shrine in Shiraz, the capital of Fars province. The two men were identified as Mohammad Ramez Rashidi and Naeem Hashem Qatali.
Although Iran had previously stated that the attack involved individuals from neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, the nationalities of the executed men were not immediately disclosed. The border region between Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan is known for its instability, and on Saturday, state media reported that four armed assailants killed an Iranian policeman in the Sunni-majority city of Zahedan near the same frontier.
The motive behind the attack in the capital of Sistan-Baluchistan province, where clashes with Sunni extremists, drug smugglers, and rebels from the Baluchi minority occur, remains unclear. Mizan reported that one of the executed men, Rashidi, had confessed to collaborating with IS in carrying out the shrine attack. Both individuals had been sentenced to death in March after being convicted of corruption, armed rebellion, acting against national security, membership in IS, and conspiracy against the country’s security.
During the investigation, three other defendants were also found guilty and received prison sentences ranging from five to 25 years for their involvement in the attack. The main perpetrator, Hamed Badakhshan, died from injuries sustained during his arrest.
In November, Iran announced the arrest of 26 “takfiri terrorists” from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan in connection with the attack. In Iran, the term “takfiri” generally refers to jihadists or advocates of radical Sunni Islam.
The shrine attack took place following widespread protests across Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died in custody after being arrested in Tehran for allegedly violating the country’s dress code for women.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi attributed the “riots” during the protests as contributing to “terrorist” attacks. In 2017, IS claimed responsibility for its first attack in Iran, targeting the parliament in Tehran and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, resulting in the deaths of 17 people and injuring dozens.
Public executions are relatively rare in Iran, with the majority of hangings taking place inside prisons. Amnesty International and other rights groups have highlighted Iran’s high execution rates, second only to China. A recent United Nations fact-finding mission called on Iran to halt the “chilling” practice after seven men were executed in connection with the Amini protests.
