Iran hangs two protesters for giving ‘pretext’ for US-Israeli attacks
Mehrdad Mohammadinia and Ashkan Maleki are executed over attack on mosque during massive January protests
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TEHRAN, Iran — Iran on Monday hanged two men convicted of ransacking and burning a mosque during anti-government protests that shook the country in December and January.
Since war broke out with Israel and the United States in February, Iran has ramped up executions, with many of the convicts hanged over the earlier protests.
“Mehrdad Mohammadinia and Ashkan Maleki, the main perpetrators of the arson attack and destruction of a mosque, were hanged this morning,” Iran’s judiciary announced through its Mizan news agency.
The report did not specify the date of their arrest or trial.
At the end of December, a protest movement in Iran, sparked by anger over living costs, quickly broadened into widespread anti-government demonstrations.
The movement culminated on January 8 with huge protests that caused widespread damage. Authorities reacted with a brutal crackdown that left thousands of people dead.
Iranian authorities accused “terrorists” working for the United States and Israel of instigating the violence, but nonprofits based abroad say Iranian security forces deliberately fired on protesters.
“In the face of the threat of a military attack by the United States and the Zionist regime, the actions of these individuals… served as a pretext for the military aggression” in February, Mizan said, referring to the war.
Iran is the world’s second-most prolific executioner after China, according to rights groups including Amnesty International.
Authorities executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, a record since 1989, according to Iran Human Rights, a nonprofit based in Norway.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.