Iran Executes 12th Protester Linked to 2022 National Unrest

Iran executed Mehran Bahramian, who was convicted of killing a security officer during the 2022 nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody. Bahramian's execution marks at least the 12th related to these protests, which have been met with international outrage over Iran's use of the death penalty to suppress dissent. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have condemned these executions, citing forced confessions obtained through torture, solitary confinement, and threats to detainees and their families, which undermine due process and fair trial standards. Bahramian and his brother Fazel, who has also received a death sentence, are part of a family deeply affected by the crackdown, with another brother killed by security forces during the unrest. Despite these executions, protests under the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom" continue to inspire demands for greater freedoms across Iran. The UN reports that Iran carried out nearly 1,000 executions in 2024, highlighting one of the highest execution rates worldwide and prompting calls for the country to halt politically motivated capital punishments.