Nov. 8 (UPI) — Iran said Sunday it has executed three men accused of working with Israel and the United States during nationwide protests against the government in January.
According to Iran’s judiciary, Hassan Divband, Hamid Kazemi, and Reza Zanganeh were executed after the Iranian Supreme Court upheld their sentences. The three were accused of taking part in armed attacks, arson and destroying public infrastructure during Jan. 8-9. protests near Tehran.
The Iranian judiciary said Divband, Kazemi and Zanganeh participated in operations for Israel, the United States and groups hostile to Tehran. Property belonging to the three was confiscated.
The men were accused by state media of taking part in protests encouraged by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi as part of a plan by Israel and the United States.
The defendants said the three attacked government buildings, destroyed security cameras, and damaged a power substation that led to electricity outages. They also possessed guns, knives, Molotov cocktails and homemade explosives, the judiciary said.
The three also assaulted two people they thought to be security personnel.
Confessions, security footage, and intelligence reports backed the convictions, the judiciary said.
The three executions are the most recent linked to the anti-government protests that were sparked by the high cost of living in Iran in December and peaked in January.