Iranian protesters executed and journalist arrested amid crackdown following protests - CNN

CNN  — 

Iran executed 2 men Saturday, according to state-affiliated Fars News, bringing to 4 the full fig of radical executed successful narration to the protests that person swept the state since September.

Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini were hanged aboriginal Saturday morning, Fars News reported. The pair, who allegedly took portion successful anti-regime protests past year, were convicted of sidesplitting Seyed Ruhollah Ajamian, a subordinate of the country’s Basij paramilitary force, successful Karaj connected November 3, according to the Iran’s judiciary quality bureau Mizan.

Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, a lawyer advocating for Karami, posted to Twitter Saturday saying that Karami was not fixed last rights to talk to his household earlier his execution. The lawyer added that Karami had begun a adust nutrient hunger onslaught Wednesday arsenic a signifier of protestation against officials for not allowing Aghasi to correspond him.

In December Karami’s parents took to societal media successful a plea for his life. “Please, I beg of you to delight assistance the execution bid from my son’s file,” the begetter of the 21-year-old karate champion said.

As galore arsenic 41 much protesters person been sentenced to decease successful Iran, according to statements from some Iranian officials and successful Iranian media reviewed by CNN and 1500Tasvir, but the fig could beryllium overmuch higher.

Meanwhile, the authorities exertion of autarkic Iranian paper Etemad Online, Mehdi Beyk, was detained connected Thursday, according to a tweet from the publication. The apprehension came amid a crackdown by Iranian authorities pursuing the protests sparked by the decease of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini past twelvemonth aft she was apprehended by the state’s morality constabulary for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly. The protests person since coalesced astir a scope of grievances with the authoritarian regime.

Beyk was detained by officials from Iran’s Ministry of Information, his wife, Zahra Beyk, said connected Friday.

He was arrested aft helium “interviewed the families of respective of those arrested successful the ongoing demonstrations,” according to pro-reform activistic outlet IranWire.

The journalist’s “mobile phone, laptop, and belongings were confiscated,” his woman tweeted. It is unclear truthful acold wherefore Beyk was arrested.

Iranian officials person antecedently arrested immoderate individuals for their disapproval of the government’s effect to the demonstrations.

One of Iran’s best-known actresses, Taraneh Alidoosti, was released connected bail Wednesday, state-aligned ISNA said, aft she was arrested pursuing her disapproval of a protester’s execution.

Known arsenic a feminist activist, Alidoosti past period published a representation of herself connected Instagram without the Islamic hijab and holding a motion speechmaking “Women, Life, Freedom” to amusement enactment for the protestation movement.

Alidoosti was not formally charged but was initially arrested for “lack of grounds for her claims” successful narration to her protestation against the hanging of Mohsen Shekari past period successful the archetypal known execution linked to the protests.