Iran has hanged two men for “waging war against God,” over their role in an assault that was filmed and posted on YouTube.
A 37-second video posted on YouTube in December and later shown on Iranian state television showed four masked men approaching the victim on motorcycles, and then two of them assaulting him, taking his bag and jacket. On the video one of the attackers seemed to be holding a long knife or machete.
The attack has prompted public outrage, and officials vowed to punish those responsible.
In Tehran, the Iranian capital, early on Sunday morning, Alireza Mafiha and Mohammad Ali Sorouri were hanged according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA).
After being convicted of “moharebe”, or waging war against God, which under Iran’s interpretation of Islamic law is punishable by death. Their sentence was issued by a Revolutionary Court in late December, ISNA said.
Amid the howls of grief and rage, a judge recounted their crime and delivered the verdict, that they would be hanged for ‘waging war against God.’
Moments later nooses were looped around their necks as a group of women at the front of the crowd begged their captors for forgiveness.
“The issue of security for our people is more important even than daily bread,” said Sadeq Larijani, head of Iran’s judiciary, in December.
Two accomplices were sentenced to 10 years in prison and 74 lashes, ISNA reported.
Iran carries out one of the world’s highest number of annual executions, according to rights group Amnesty International, which has called on the Islamic Republic to commute death sentences.
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