Iran executes two men for blasphemy

Pair reportedly running online anti-religion platforms dedicated to hatred of Islam and promotion of atheism

A woman walks past an Iranian flag painted on a wall in a street in the capital Tehran. Photograph: Atta Kenare/Getty Images
A woman walks past an Iranian flag painted on a wall in a street in the capital Tehran. Photograph: Atta Kenare/Getty Images

Iran has executed two people who had been sentenced to death for blasphemy, the judiciary’s news website Mizan reported on Monday.

Yousef Mehrdad and Sadrollah Fazeli Zare were executed for crimes including blasphemy, insulting the religion of Islam, the prophet and other sanctities, Mizan reported. It did not say when they were executed.

The two were running dozens of online anti-religion platforms dedicated to the hatred of Islam, the promotion of atheism and insults to sanctities, Mizan reported.

UN experts have called on majority Shi’ite Muslim Iran to stop persecution and harassment of religious minorities pointing out an Iranian policy of targeting dissenting beliefs or religious practices, including Christian converts and atheists. – Reuters