Iranian authorities on Tuesday executed two men convicted of belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group, according to the judiciary’s official news website, as the country continues to carry out capital punishments in terrorism-related cases.
The judiciary’s Mizan Online website reported that Mohiyodin Abdollahi and Hossein Palani were hanged after Iran’s Supreme Court upheld their convictions.
“Following the supreme court’s final verdict and in accordance with legal procedure, two members of the terrorist Islamic State group, Mohiyodin Abdollahi and Hossein Palani, were hanged this morning,” Mizan Online reported.
The judiciary did not provide details about when the two men were arrested or when their trial proceedings took place.
According to Mizan, the two men had been accused of planning terrorist operations in Iran and were convicted of “armed rebellion against the Islamic Republic”.
The executions come as Iranian authorities maintain a strict approach toward individuals accused of involvement with extremist groups, particularly Islamic State, which has carried out several deadly attacks inside the country.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in Iran in recent years, including major assaults targeting civilians and security facilities.
One of the group’s most significant attacks in Iran occurred in 2017, when IS militants carried out coordinated attacks on the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran. The assault killed more than a dozen people and marked one of the group’s most prominent operations inside the country.
Iran has repeatedly described IS and other militant organisations as major national security threats, particularly because of instability across parts of the Middle East.
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Human rights organisations have frequently criticised Iran’s use of the death penalty, saying the country carries out executions at one of the highest rates in the world.
According to rights groups, including Amnesty International, Iran executes more people annually than any other country except China, although exact figures remain difficult to verify because Chinese execution data is not publicly released.
The use of capital punishment in Iran has drawn international scrutiny, with critics calling for greater transparency in legal proceedings and expressing concerns over fair trial standards in some cases.
Iranian authorities, however, argue that executions are an essential tool for combating serious crimes, terrorism and threats against national security.
The latest executions come as Iran has increased the pace of capital punishments following the outbreak of a wider Middle East conflict triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Security concerns have intensified across the region, with governments increasing measures against groups they consider threats to national stability.
The Iranian government has previously carried out executions of individuals convicted of espionage, armed attacks, drug trafficking and terrorism-related offences.
The cases of Abdollahi and Palani highlight the ongoing challenges facing Iran as it attempts to counter militant groups while facing international criticism over its judicial practices and use of the death penalty.