Iran executes man over 2022 protest killings. Activists say he was framed
The hanging of Abbas Kourkouri, also known as Mojahed Kourkouri, marks the first execution in nearly a year for someone arrested in the protests surrounding the death of Amini, who had been detained by police allegedly over not wearing her hijab, or headscarf, to their liking. Her death sparked months of demonstrations. Even today, some women refuse to wear their headscarves in public, openly defying a hijab law instituted by the country's theocracy.
It's unclear why authorities chose now to execute Kourkouri, 42, though tensions have been rising regionally over Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, and the result of talks with the United States remains uncertain. Iran is one of the world's top executioners and has been cracking down in other ways on society in the time since the Amini demonstrations.
Kourkouri 'was sentenced to death without a fair trial and without access to a lawyer of his choice,' said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam of the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights, which tallied an average of one execution in the Islamic Republic every six hours over the last eight months.
Shooting happened during Amini protests
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported at the time that on Nov. 16, 2022 two gunmen on motorcycles shot at protesters and security personnel gathered at the central market in the southwestern city of Izeh in the country's restive, oil-rich Khuzestan province.
The assault killed seven people, including a 9-year-old boy, and wounded three police officers and two members of the Basij, the all-volunteer arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The death of the boy, named Kian Pirfalak, drew anger from Iranians, particularly after his family reportedly said it was security forces — not other gunmen — who opened fire.
Kourkouri was accused of being one of the gunmen.
He was charged with a spate of offenses, including 'moharebeh' – an Islamic term meaning waging a battle against God. Authorities arrested him in December 2022 after reportedly shooting him in the leg. Activists say he was denied medical treatment beyond the bullet's removal.
State media described Kourkouri as a drug dealer and 'instigator' with a history of extremist beliefs. But rights advocates say he isn't the violent person authorities have made him out to be and was himself an innocent protester.
'He was arrested during the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' protests, and the Islamic Republic authorities attempted to blame him" for the attack, Amiry-Moghaddam said. He added that the slain boy's parents and uncle believed Iranian security forces were responsible.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which also monitors Iran, similarly dismissed the Iranian government's claims.
'While authorities continue to describe the events of Nov. 16 in Izeh as a 'terrorist attack,' eyewitnesses and the families of victims have presented accounts that contradict the government's narrative,' it said Wednesday. The group quoted Kian's mother as saying, 'On our way home, officers opened fire on our car.'
State media earlier broadcast videos of Kourkouri taking blame for the attack. But Amnesty International has said that authorities subjected him to solitary confinement and coerced his confessions, and that he wasn't at the scene at the time of the killings.
One videotaped confession that had been aired on state TV showed Kourkouri in bed with his arm visibly bandaged and bloody, the rights group said. The footage resembled that of many other suspected coerced confessions broadcast in Iran.
Kourkouri's death brings the tally of executions related to violence at the Amini protests up to 11. The last such execution came 10 months ago, after Reza Resaei, 34, was sentenced to death over the killing of a security officer. Rights groups also said his confession was forced.
The United Nations-established Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran said Wednesday that proceedings against Kourkouri had been 'marred by gross human rights violations.' It called on Iran to halt executions, including those against women's rights activists.
Iran still faces dissent years later
On the streets of Iranian cities, it's becoming increasingly common to see a woman pass by without a mandatory hijab, as the third anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini and the mass protests it sparked approaches this fall.
The government has targeted private businesses where women are seen without their headscarves. Surveillance cameras search for women uncovered in vehicles to fine and impound their cars, and authorities have gone as far as to use aerial drones to monitor women.
The country's reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian campaigned on a promise to curb the morality police's harassment of women. But the country's ultimate authority rests with its 86-year-old Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei has in the past said 'unveiling is both religiously forbidden and politically forbidden.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How an empty North Carolina rural hospital explains a GOP senator's vote against Trump's tax bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — Though patients don't rush through the doors of this emergency room anymore, an empty hospital in Williamston, North Carolina, offers an evocative illustration of why Republican Sen. Thom Tillis would buck his party leaders to vote down President Donald Trump's signature domestic policy package. Martin General is one of a dozen hospitals that have closed in North Carolina over the last two decades. This is a problem that hospital systems and health experts warn may only worsen if the legislation passes with its $1 trillion cuts to the Medicaid program and new restrictions on enrollment in the coverage. Tillis' home state showcases the financial impact that more Medicaid dollars can have on hospitals in rural and poor regions throughout the country. Tillis said in a floor speech on Sunday, explaining his vote, that the GOP bill will siphon billions of dollars from Medicaid recipients and the health system in his state. 'Republicans are about to make a mistake on health care and betraying a promise,' said Tillis, who has announced he will not seek re-election because of his opposition to the bill. Along with Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky, he joined all Democrats in voting against the bill. Tillis later accused the president and his colleagues of not fully grasping the full impact of the bill: 'We owe it to the states to do the work to understand how these proposals affect them. How hard is that? I did it.' For Martin General Hospital in Williamston, North Carolina's decision to expand Medicaid came just too late. The emergency room abruptly closed its doors in the eastern North Carolina county that's home to more than 20,000 people in August 2023. The closest hospital is now about a 30-minute drive away. Then-Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper faulted the state's failure to expand the Medicaid program to more low-income adults sooner to prevent Martin General's closure. North Carolina began offering Medicaid expansion to its residents in December. Today, more than 673,000 people are receiving this coverage. Now, Tillis and other state officials are worried the Republican bill, which will limit how much Medicaid money is sent back to providers, threatens funds for hospitals in their state again. And it could trigger a state Medicaid law that would close down North Carolina's otherwise successful expansion of coverage unless state legislators make changes or locate funds. The Medicaid dollars that Republicans seek to scale back in their bill have helped buttress the remaining rural hospitals across North Carolina, said Jay Ludlam, a deputy health secretary who leads North Carolina Medicaid. 'This has been a lifeline for our rural hospitals here in North Carolina and has helped provide and keep them open,' Ludlam said. 'Rural hospitals play an integral role in communities both as a point of access for health care but also for the local economy because of the contributions that those hospital and hospital systems make to those communities.' Republicans have responded to concerns with a provision that will provide $10 billion annually to rural hospitals for five years, or $50 billion in total. Around the country, 200 hospitals have closed or shuttered emergency services in the last two decades, many of them in red states across the southeastern and midwestern U.S. States that have declined to expand Medicaid coverage, the health insurance program for the poorest of Americans, have seen the closures accelerate. Tennessee, for example, has shed 500 beds since 2014, when a federal law first allowed states to expand Medicaid coverage to a greater share of low-income people. It's one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid. More than 300 hospitals could be at risk for closure if the Republicans' bill becomes law, an analysis by the Cecil G. Sheps Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found last month. The center tracks rural hospital closures. 'Substantial cuts to Medicaid or Medicare payments could increase the number of unprofitable rural hospitals and elevate their risk of financial distress,' the analysis concluded. 'In response, hospitals may be forced to reduce service lines, convert to a different type of health care facility, or close altogether.' — Associated Press writer Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this report.
Newsweek
36 minutes ago
- Newsweek
China Eyes More Overseas Missions for Growing Naval Fleet
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. China is building a new fleet of replenishment ships—capable of providing supplies to other vessels at sea—as the East Asian power's navy expands its overseas presence. Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment via email. Why It Matters China possesses over 370 naval vessels, making it the world's largest navy by hull count and surpassing its rival, the United States. Over the past year, Chinese warships have conducted missions farther from home—including in Europe and Africa, as well as around Australia in the South Pacific—challenging America's naval dominance. According to a Pentagon report, China has a "sizable force of highly capable logistical replenishment ships," which support long-distance, long-duration deployments—such as recently concluded dual aircraft carrier operations in the broader western Pacific. What To Know Since early June, photos circulated on social media indicate that China has launched and tested several newly built Type 903A replenishment ships. A number of vessels from this class—as well as their predecessor, the Type 903—are already in service. Meanwhile one other newly produced Type 903A may have been undergoing sea trials already. The AOR-design is again in active production both at Wuhu Shipyard and COMEC (formerly GSI), Guangzhou. Same source. — Alex Luck (@AlexLuck9) June 5, 2025 Both the Type 903 and Type 903A vessels can carry fuel oil, fresh water, cargo, and ammunition, according to open-source information. Australia-based naval analyst Alex Luck estimates that China has likely constructed an additional four Type 903A ships. The new ships were constructed at shipyards in Guangzhou and Wuhu, the analyst wrote in a January article for the specialist outlet Naval News. It remains to be seen whether the new ships are Type 903A vessels or further improved versions of this class. The Type 903/A fleet forms the backbone of China's replenishment capability, Luck told Newsweek, adding that China's doubling of this type of ship is not unreasonable, given both the growing demand and the need to build resilience for conflict scenarios. Despite drawing less attention than the larger Type 901 replenishment ships, the Type 903 ships are considered "far more crucial" to China's navy for operating across island chains in the western Pacific, as well as more expeditionary missions, the analyst explained. China's acquisition of multiple new replenishment ships indicates its seriousness in pursuing the goal of having a world class military by mid-century, Tom Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Newsweek. The Chinese Type 903A replenishment ship CNS Kekexilihu is seen in Qingdao, China, on April 20, 2024. The Chinese Type 903A replenishment ship CNS Kekexilihu is seen in Qingdao, China, on April 20, 2024. Anna Ratkoglo/Sputnik via AP What People Are Saying Tom Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Newsweek: "Platforms like [replenishment ships] are essential for furthering the [People's Liberation Army] Navy's reach as it operates further and further from home on a regular basis." Australia-based naval analyst Alex Luck told Newsweek: "I've long held the view that the current Type 903/A-fleet is rather insufficient considering the very high rotational tempo the type experiences across [People's Liberation Army Navy] operations." What Happens Next China continues its naval buildup by launching more warships while operating 307 shipyards, at least 35 of which are linked to military or national security projects.
40 minutes ago
French foreign minister denounces spy charges against couple imprisoned in Iran
PARIS -- France's foreign minister denounced spy charges reportedly being used to hold two French nationals in Iran for more than three years, saying the allegations are 'unjustified and unfounded." French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Thursday said France had not been formerly notified by Iranian authorities of the charges against French citizens Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, which reportedly include spying for Israel. If confirmed, France would consider the charges 'totally unjustified and unfounded,' Barrot said, calling for the couple's 'immediate, unconditional release.' Kohler, 40, and her partner Paris, 72, were arrested in May 2022 and until last month were detained at Tehran's Evin Prison, known for holding dual nationals and Westerners who are used by Iran as bargaining chips in diplomatic negotiations. A French diplomat was able to meet the pair earlier this week as their families demanded proof they were alive following recent Israeli strikes on the prison. Kohler's sister, Noemie Kohler, said in an interview broadcast Thursday on BFM TV that the couple were told they had been charged with spying for Israel, conspiracy to overthrow the Iranian regime and 'corruption on Earth.' 'Our understanding … is that they face death penalty,' she said. 'We're really extremely worried about their psychological state and the trauma of the bombings.' The visit by the French diplomat took place at a prison south of Tehran but, like some other prisoners, Kohler and Paris were transferred from Evin following the Israeli strikes and their location is unknown, Noemie Kohler said.
