Iran Carries Out Second Public Execution Over Anti-Govt Protests | What We Know

Majidreza Rahnavard, 23, was executed after being convicted of killing two members of Iran's security forces.

Majidreza Rahnavard, 23, was executed in an unknown public location in Mashhad in front of a group of people.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter) 

Iran has carried out the public execution of a second man, convicted in connection with the ongoing anti-government protests in the country.

Who was the victim? Majidreza Rahnavard, 23, who was charged with killing two members of Iran's security forces, was executed in an unknown public location in Mashhad in front of a group of people, Al Jazeera reported.

He was convicted of promoting "enmity against God" and was put to death just 23 days after his arrest.

The Iranian judiciary's news website published several pictures of the execution, showing a man whose hands were tied. Masked members of Iran's law enforcement agencies were seen cordoning off the area, with a crowd of people watching behind barricades.

How did rights groups react? Several rights groups condemned the execution, and alleged that they were being carried out in the aftermath of sham trials.

"Rahnavard was sentenced to death based on coerced confessions, after a grossly unfair process and a show trial. This crime must be met with serious consequences for the Islamic Republic," a representative of the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group tweeted.

Amnesty International also echoed similar sentiments, saying that "the clear aim of Iranian authorities is to instil fear among the public in a desperate attempt to cling to power and end the popular uprising."

When did the first execution take place? Iran had carried out its first execution in connection with the protests on Thursday, 8 December. Mohsen Shekari, who was also 23, was executed for allegedly attacking a member of the Basij paramilitary force with a knife in Tehran.

Human rights groups outside Iran have alleged that over 500 people, including several children, have been killed amid the protests, which began in September over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera.)