Iran executed two men, Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian, on Saturday after convicting them of membership in the banned People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) and carrying out acts aimed at overthrowing the Islamic Republic. The judiciary confirmed the hangings through its Mizan Online website, stating the sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court. The men were found guilty of involvement in "multiple terrorist acts" and sabotage, though details of their arrest remain unclear. The MEK, once a supporter of the 1979 revolution, has been in exile for decades and is designated a terrorist group by Iran.
This marks the latest in a series of executions linked to the MEK, following the deaths of four other members earlier in the week. Since the regional conflict sparked by US-Israeli strikes on February 28, Iran has intensified its crackdown, executing individuals accused of ties to foreign powers. On Thursday, a man convicted of acting for the United States and Israel during anti-government protests was put to death. Three others were executed on March 19 for killing police officers. Kouroush Keyvani, a dual Iranian-Swedish national, was executed in March on espionage charges, prompting condemnation from Sweden and the European Union. Iran ranks second globally in executions, behind only China, according to human rights monitors.
Iran is using the cover of war to accelerate political executions under the guise of national security. Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian's deaths are not isolated but part of a calculated pattern of eliminating dissent since the conflict began. When a state begins killing its citizens en masse during geopolitical turmoil, it signals control, not justice. For Nigerians, this underscores how fragile due process becomes when governments weaponise crisis.
