Iran Executes Two MEK Members Amid Controversial Trial

Iran executed two Mujahideen-e-Khalq members for infrastructure attacks, amid criticism from Amnesty International over an 'unfair' trial. The defendants, sentenced to death in 2024 for national security threats, faced allegations of torture and forced confessions, highlighting Iran's increasing execution rates.

In a controversial move, Iran executed two members of the outlawed Mujahideen-e-Khalq group for launching attacks on civilian infrastructure utilizing homemade projectiles, according to judiciary news outlet Mizan on Sunday.

The judiciary identified Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani-Eslamloo as the "operational elements" behind the attacks, stating their death sentences, issued in September 2024, had been upheld by the Supreme Court without the possibility of retrial. Amnesty International criticized the trial as "grossly unfair," citing evidence of potential torture and coercion to secure confessions.

The executions contribute to a rising number of state-enforced capital punishments in Iran, mounting to a record high since 2015, escalating international scrutiny regarding human rights practices. The MEK, once deemed a terrorist organization until 2012, historically opposed Iran's Islamic Republic, operating its leadership out of Paris.

(With inputs from agencies.)