Iran executes two men over charges 'related to homosexuality', says rights watchdog
Iran executes two men over charges 'related to homosexuality', says rights watchdog
Two men have been executed in Iran over charges related to 'homosexual activity', an Iranian rights watchdog has said, adding that the deaths are two of at least 47 executions in Iranian prisons since January 2022.
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Iran has repeatedly used the charge of sodomy to impose death penalties on the LGTBQ+ community [Getty]
Two men have been executed in Iran on Sunday for charges related to homosexuality, according to an Iranian rights group.
Mehrdad Karimpou and Farid Mohammadi were killed in Maragheh prison in northwestern Iran, after being arrested six years ago, Iran Human Rights Monitor reported.
Their deaths are two of at least 47 executions in Iranian prisons since January 2022, an increase from at least 31 deaths in the same month last year, according to a report by the Iranian rights watchdog.
Two #Iranian men were executed today after being found guilty of charges related to homosexuality. #Humanrights websites identified the men as 32 yo Mehrdad Karimpour & Farid Mohammadi. They were arrested 6 years ago & were in Maragheh prison until their execution. pic.twitter.com/NyiC0XjzK9
— IRAN HRM (@IranHrm) January 30, 2022
LGBTQ+ activist Peter Tatchell said the men had faced "disputed charges after [an] unfair trial".
Tatchell called for states to enact Magnitsky Sanctions on Tehran following the reported executions and other human rights violations.
The Magnitsky Sanctions are targeted sanctions against individuals who have committed human rights abuses or have been involved in significant corruption.
Under Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, consensual same-sex sexual relations are criminalised and punished by penalties, ranging from flogging to the death penalty.
Amnesty International has said LGBTQ+ people in Iran "face pervasive discrimination, live in constant fear of harassment, arrest and criminal prosecution".
Out of the 47 known executions, Iran Human Rights Monitor reported that at least 17 were carried out for drug-related offences and 24 were for murder.
Three people were executed for the charge of 'Moharebeh', which roughly translates as "waging war against God".
The Iranian human rights watchdog said the actual number of deaths is likely to be higher "because the regime executes many in secret and away from public’s eyes".
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