Iran executes two opposition group members; opposition parties and human rights organizations strongly condemn

International Desk: PNN

Amid the ongoing Iran-related conflict involving the US and Israel in the Middle East, the Iranian government executed two members of the banned People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).

On Saturday morning, the Iranian Supreme Court upheld previous sentences, and Abolhasan Montazeri and Vahid Baniamerian were hanged. They were accused of PMOI/MEK membership and carrying out armed rebellion through multiple terrorist activities.

The PMOI/MEK initially supported the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the Iranian monarchy. However, in the 1980s, they came into conflict with the new Tehran government, which declared the organization a ‘terrorist group.’ The organization currently operates in exile.

Earlier, on March 30 and 31, four other PMOI/MEK members were executed: Mohammad Takavi, Akbar Daneshvarkar, Babak Alipour, and Pouya Ghobadi. All had been arrested and sentenced by revolutionary courts at the end of 2024.

In a statement released on Saturday, the organization condemned the executions, saying: “This brutality will not silence opposition; rather, it will strengthen the determination of Iranian youth to resist.”

Human rights organizations also condemned the executions. Amnesty International reported that detainees were tortured and transferred to unknown locations before execution. The organization further expressed concern that five more young people arrested during January protests may be executed soon.

Since February 28, following attacks by the US and Israel, several other individuals in Iran have been executed, including Iranian-Swedish national Kourosh Keyvani, sentenced for spying for Israel.

Through these actions, the Iranian government is using the death penalty as a tool to suppress opposition, drawing sharp criticism from the international community.