Iran executes two convicted members of banned opposition group

Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian have been hanged after Iran’s Supreme Court upheld their sentences.Iran has executed two men convicted of being members of the banned People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) opposition group, in the latest action targeting dissidents, even as the United States-Israeli war on Iran drags on.The two were executed on Saturday morning after the country’s Supreme Court upheld earlier sentences that convicted them of PMOI/MEK membership, and “armed rebellion through involvement in multiple terrorist acts”.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Iran war: What is happening on day 36 of US-Israeli attacks?list 2 of 4Iran says it downed two US jets as search for one pilot continueslist 3 of 4Omani, French and Japanese vessels transit the Strait of Hormuzlist 4 of 4What we know about the US fighter jet shot down in Iranend of list“Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian … were hanged after trial and their sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court,” the Iranian judiciary website, Mizan Online, said on Saturday.PMOI/MEK had initially supported the 1979 Islamic revolution that unseated the Iranian monarchy. However, in the 1980s, it fell out with the new leadership in Tehran and was designated a “terrorist” organisation. PMOI/MEK has since operated in exile.Four other convicted members of the group were executed on March 30 and 31. According to information on the PMOI/MEK website, the men were: Mohammad Taghavi, Akbar Daneshvarkar, Babak Alipour and Pouya Ghobadi.All six men were arrested and convicted by a Revolutionary Court in late 2024, according to PMOI/MEK.‘Futile’ crackdownThe group condemned the executions in an April 2 statement, calling Tehran’s actions a “futile” attempt to suppress opposition.“These brutal executions will not silence the opposition; instead, they will only intensify the resolve of Iran’s rebellious youth to overthrow the regime,” PMOI/MEK said.