Two Men Executed for Insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad

This article was last updated on May 8, 2023

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Two Men Executed for Insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad

Yousef Mehrdad and Sadrollah Fazeli Zare have been executed in Arak prison in Markazi province, Iran for insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. The two men, who operated online platforms promoting atheism and hatred towards Islam, were arrested in 2020 and were placed in solitary confinement for months without access to their families. Lesser sentences were imposed on previous blasphemy convictions, making the motives behind the decision to execute Mehrdad and Fazeli Zare unclear.

Executions in Iran

Iran remains one of the world’s deadliest countries, with the highest number of executions per capita. According to Iran Human Rights, a non-profit organization based in Oslo, 203 prisoners were executed this year alone, with last year recording the highest number since 2015. The majority of prisoners were sentenced to death for drug-related crimes and murder, but at least 4 people have been sentenced to death for participating in protests against the Iranian regime. Additionally, UN experts have called on the country’s Shia majority to end the persecution and harassment of religious minorities like Christians and atheists.

International Reaction

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and various human rights groups have criticized Iran’s capital punishment of blasphemy convicts. Executions for blasphemy are infrequent in the country with lesser sentences such as flogging usually imposed. This year’s increase in the number of executions raises concerns on the Iranian government’s view of freedom of speech.

The Case of Mahsa Amini

Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, died under arrest in a police van in September last year for not adhering to Iran’s strict dress code for women. Four people have been sentenced to death for the protests which erupted following her arrest. UN experts have called for the end of the harassment and persecution of Iranian citizens with different beliefs and faiths.

Key Takeaway

Following a sharp increase in executions in Iran, rights groups and the United Nations are calling Iran’s capital punishment system into question. The executions of Yousef Mehrdad and Sadrollah Fazeli Zare have sparked further concerns on the declining state of freedom of speech in the country.