Iran to publicly hang two men over Shiraz shrine attack: Official

Iran is preparing to carry out the public hanging of two men who have been sentenced to death for their alleged involvement in a deadly attack on a Shia shrine in the city of Shiraz last year, a judiciary official said on Sunday.

Kazem Mousavi, the chief justice of Fars province, which includes Shiraz, said that the death sentences have been upheld and that the executions will take place in public “soon,” the state news agency IRNA reported.

The two men were sentenced to death in March after being convicted of aiding in “corruption on earth, armed rebellion and acting against national security.”

Mousavi said at the time they played a direct role in “arming, procurement, logistics and guidance of the main perpetrator of the terrorist attack” that took place at the Shah Cheragh mausoleum on October 26.

The attack killed 13 people and left 30 others injured.

Three other defendants involved in the case were sentenced to prison terms of five, 15, and 25 years for their affiliation with ISIS, according to Mousavi.

The main perpetrator of the attack, identified as Hamed Badakhshan, died from injuries sustained during his arrest, according to state media.

Iran ranks second only to China in terms of the number of executions carried out annually, according to human rights organizations.

The Islamic Republic has executed at least 270 people since the beginning of 2023, according to Norway-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR).