Iran Executes 2 Prisoners in Sanandaj Central Prison

Protesters carrying a photo of Mahsa Amini during a march against the regime in Iran (Reuters)
Protesters carrying a photo of Mahsa Amini during a march against the regime in Iran (Reuters)
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Iran Executes 2 Prisoners in Sanandaj Central Prison

Protesters carrying a photo of Mahsa Amini during a march against the regime in Iran (Reuters)
Protesters carrying a photo of Mahsa Amini during a march against the regime in Iran (Reuters)

Two prisoners were executed at Sanandaj Central Prison on a charge of "intentional murder," according to Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.

Iran recorded a significant increase in death sentences and executions of demonstrators.

Widespread protests spread in Iran after the death of Mahsa Aymani, who was arrested by the morality police in Tehran in September 2022.

On Friday, the Iranian Human Rights Organization said that authorities issued 18 death sentences, including six women, and will be carried out in the coming days.

It announced that prison authorities informed the 18 prisoners, including two women in the Dastgerd prison in Isfahan and four others in the Dolat Abad women's prison.

Among the inmates was Samira Abbasi, a child bride who was sentenced to death for the premeditated murder of her husband.

Iran International reported that Iran is among the countries that have the highest number of executions in the world every year.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned Friday of the "dramatic escalation" of executions in Iran in recent weeks, saying it is a "serious violation of the right to life and should bring international condemnation."

The Beirut branch of the human rights organization announced that Iran witnessed during the past two weeks at least 60 executions, including an Iranian-Swedish national, on alleged terror-related charges.

Many of them were executed after unfair trials or for charges such as drug offenses and two executions for "blasphemy," that under international law should never result in the death penalty.

The director of the Iran Human Rights Organization, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, warned of the unprecedented wave of executions in Iran, especially among women.

Amiry-Moghaddam called on the international community to "stop the killing machine," warning that hundreds of people will be victims of this regime in the coming months.

An informed source told the organization that two men and two women were informed of the date of their execution in Dastgerd Prison. They were sentenced to retribution on charges of premeditated murder.

He added that 14 other prisoners were sentenced to death on drug-related charges.



Zelenskiy Urges Trump to Be on Ukraine’s Side, Says Putin Not Afraid of Europe 

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2025. (Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2025. (Reuters)
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Zelenskiy Urges Trump to Be on Ukraine’s Side, Says Putin Not Afraid of Europe 

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2025. (Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2025. (Reuters)

Ukraine needed broader security guarantees and Russian President Vladimir Putin was not afraid of Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Fox News in an interview in which he urged US President Donald Trump to be on Ukraine's side.

Trump, who took office on Jan. 20, has promised to end the Russia-Ukraine war soon, without saying how. Aides have suggested that a deal could take months.

Trump has expressed willingness to speak to Putin about ending the war, a contrast with the administration of Democratic former President Joe Biden, who shunned the Russian leader.

Trump's election win in November had sparked hope of a diplomatic resolution to end Moscow's invasion of Ukraine that began in Feb. 2022, but it also led to fears in Kyiv that a quick peace deal could come at a high price for Ukraine.

"We want him (Trump) to be on the side of justice, on the side of Ukraine," Zelenskiy said in the interview aired on Tuesday night. "Putin is not afraid of Europe."

Zelenskiy added Ukraine cannot recognize Russia's occupation, but it preferred a diplomatic resolution.

The White House had no immediate comment.

After the Russian invasion began, the United States under Biden committed over $175 billion in aid for Ukraine, including over $60 billion in security assistance. It was uncertain if the aid would continue at that pace under Trump.