Iran executes two men over ties to exiled MEK group

TEHRAN: Iran on Sunday executed two men after convicting them of carrying out armed operations for the exiled opposition People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), the judiciary said.

“The death sentences of two operational members of the... terrorist group were carried out this morning after legal procedures and confirmation by the supreme court,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website reported.

The men, identified as Mehdi Hasani and Behrouz Ehsani-Eslamloo, were found guilty of manufacturing improvised launchers and mortars and conducting attacks that targeted civilians, homes and public and charitable institutions.

The judiciary said they aimed to “disrupt social order and endanger the safety of innocent citizens”.

Both men were described as long-time affiliates of the MEK, a group Iran designates as a terrorist group.

Authorities said the pair operated from a safe house in Tehran and engaged in “propaganda and sabotage,” including filming their activities for broadcast on MEK-linked channels.

The timing and details of their arrest were not immediately disclosed.

The pair were convicted of baghi (armed rebellion), moharebeh (waging war against God), and conspiracy to undermine national security.

Iran enforces capital punishment for a range of serious crimes and ranks as the world’s second-most prolific executioner after China, according to human rights groups including Amnesty International. Executions in Iran are typically carried out by hanging at dawn.