TEHRAN, Iran – Iran has garnered criticism for executing Mohammad Ghobadlou, who was convicted for running over and killing a policeman and injuring five others during mass protests in 2022. The judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported that Ghobadlou was found guilty of the killing and was executed on Tuesday, despite human rights advocates arguing that he did not receive a fair trial.
The protests erupted following the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman who died in police custody after being arrested for violating Iran’s strict dress code for women. The demonstrations resulted in hundreds of deaths and the arrests of thousands, with officials attributing the unrest to foreign-instigated “riots”.
Ghobadlou’s initial death sentence in November 2022 was for “corruption on earth” after he attacked police in Tehran with a car. The Supreme Court granted him a stay of execution in February 2023, ordering consideration of his mental health. Despite these considerations, the Supreme Court ultimately upheld the death sentence and it was carried out under Iran’s Islamic law of retribution.
Amnesty International criticized the handling of Ghobadlou’s case, stating that his right to a fair trial was violated and that his mental health condition was not properly addressed. However, Mizan refuted these claims, alleging that Ghobadlou had rejected the suggestion of mental disability during his trial.
The execution has sparked public demonstrations, with Ghobadlou’s family and others protesting in front of a prison in the Iranian city of Karaj. The case highlights Iran’s high rate of executions, with only China surpassing the country in the number of annual executions, according to Amnesty International. The organization also stated that Iran usually carries out executions by hanging.