Iran: two young men soon to be executed for hatred against God?

In Iran, justice has confirmed the death sentence of two young men aged 18 and 19, according to an NGO. Their common offence? Hate against God.

He is an Iranian teenager like many others, addicted to fashion and selfies. Mehdi Mohammadifard, 18, has just been sentenced to death twice for enmity towards God and corruption on earth. His crime: burning down a police kiosk during a demonstration. Mohammad Boroghani, another 19-year-old protester, risks being hanged at any moment. On Monday January 2, the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence.

A vague reason that serves as an excuse for the authorities?

Since the start of the revolt in mid-September, thirteen people have been sentenced to death. Two were executed, including Mohsen Shekari, in early December. Quick trials, during which the same offense is punished by the Islamic penal code: hatred against God. A vague motive that conceals the real objectives of the authorities. “There is the will to impose, by terror and by this way of instilling fear within the population, and to send very clear messages to try to put down this uprising”, explains Fanny Gallois, head of the Freedoms program at Amnesty International.