Tehran
Iran has resumed public executions in downtown Tehran for the first time in five years. Two men were hanged from cranes above one of the city’s busiest streets for murdering a judge. Under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, executions have risen sharply. At least 150 people have been put to death this year, including around 30 in the past month. Some of the executed were criminals, but others were political activists accused of participating in “U.S.-backed plots” to topple the regime. Four Iranian-Americans are being held in Iran on such charges. One of them, scholar Haleh Esfandiari, was released from prison on bail this week, but cannot leave the country.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How military service works for K-pop idolsUnder The Radar All seven members of K-pop sensation BTS have now completed mandatory national service
-
The Week contest: Flight fraudPuzzles and Quizzes
-
Is Trump sidelining Congress' war powers?Today's Big Question The Iran attack renews a long-running debate
