Manny Ita –
Iran has carried out the execution of a 21-year-old karate athlete, as the United Nations raises alarm over a sharp increase in executions and arrests linked to ongoing unrest and conflict in the country.
The victim, Sassan Azadvar Joonqani, was executed early Thursday at Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, according to reports from Iranian authorities. He had been arrested in January during nationwide protests and later convicted of “moharebeh,” an offence under Iranian law meaning “enmity against God,” as well as alleged cooperation with hostile elements.
Authorities claimed Azadvar took part in violent acts during the protests, including attacking a vehicle carrying security personnel with stones and attempting to prepare petrol for arson. However, no casualties among security forces were reported.
Human rights organisations have strongly disputed the case. Advocacy groups, including Amnesty International, said the execution reflects a broader pattern of repression, alleging that detainees are subjected to torture, enforced disappearances, and unfair trials. The lawyers’ platform Dadban also argued that the charges did not meet the legal threshold for “enmity against God.”
Another rights group, Hengaw, described the case as fraught with legal inconsistencies and said Azadvar, reportedly a karate champion from Isfahan province, was forced into a confession under severe physical and psychological pressure. Sources close to the family added that his funeral was conducted under tight security, with only a small number of relatives permitted to attend.
The execution comes amid growing international concern over Iran’s use of capital punishment. The United Nations reported that at least 21 people have been executed and more than 4,000 arrested since the escalation of conflict in late February.
Iran’s judiciary has defended its actions, insisting that due process was followed. Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei recently directed courts to expedite cases related to detainees, even if it means bypassing standard procedures, and reiterated that Iran would not respond to international pressure to halt executions.
The latest execution underscores mounting fears among global observers that capital punishment is increasingly being used as a tool to suppress dissent during a period of heightened political and security tensions in the country.
