Iran executes two members of opposition group for attacking infrastructure
Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani-Eslamloo, identified as 'operational elements' of the MEK, were sentenced to death in September 2024 — a verdict upheld by the Supreme Court, which denied their request for a retrial, Mizan said.
'The terrorists, in co-ordination with MEK leaders, had ... built launchers and hand-held mortars in line with the group's goals, fired projectiles heedlessly at citizens, homes, service and administrative facilities, educational and charity centres,' the report said.
Maryam Rajavi, who leads the National Council of Resistance of Iran of which the MEK is the main force, paid tribute to the pair.
'Honour to these steadfast Mojahedin who, after three years of unwavering resistance under torture, pressure and threats, fulfilled their solemn pledge to God and the people with pride and dignity.'
The defendants were indicted with 'moharebeh' — an Islamic term meaning waging war against God — destroying public property and 'membership in a terrorist organisation with the aim of disrupting national security'.
Amnesty International said that Ehsani-Eslamloo and Hassani were arrested in 2022 and maintained their innocence during a trial which the rights group called 'grossly unfair and marred by allegations of torture and forced confessions'.
'According to informed sources, agents interrogated them without lawyers present and subjected them to torture and other ill-treatment, including beatings and prolonged solitary confinement, to extract self-incriminating statements,' it said in January.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the number of people executed in Iran rose to at least 901 in 2024, the highest number since 2015.
The MEK, known in English as People's Mujahideen Organisation of Iran, was a powerful leftist-Islamist group that staged bombing campaigns against the shah's government and US targets in the 1970s but ultimately fell out with the other factions of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Since then, the MEK has opposed the Islamic Republic and its leadership in exile has been Paris-based. The group was listed as a terrorist organisation by the US and the EU until 2012.
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TimesLIVE
10 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Iran executes two members of opposition group for attacking infrastructure
Iran executed two members of the banned Mujahideen-e-Khalq group for attacking civilian infrastructure with homemade projectiles, the judiciary news outlet Mizan said on Sunday, amid criticism from Amnesty International over a 'grossly unfair' trial. Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani-Eslamloo, identified as 'operational elements' of the MEK, were sentenced to death in September 2024 — a verdict upheld by the Supreme Court, which denied their request for a retrial, Mizan said. 'The terrorists, in co-ordination with MEK leaders, had ... built launchers and hand-held mortars in line with the group's goals, fired projectiles heedlessly at citizens, homes, service and administrative facilities, educational and charity centres,' the report said. Maryam Rajavi, who leads the National Council of Resistance of Iran of which the MEK is the main force, paid tribute to the pair. 'Honour to these steadfast Mojahedin who, after three years of unwavering resistance under torture, pressure and threats, fulfilled their solemn pledge to God and the people with pride and dignity.' The defendants were indicted with 'moharebeh' — an Islamic term meaning waging war against God — destroying public property and 'membership in a terrorist organisation with the aim of disrupting national security'. Amnesty International said that Ehsani-Eslamloo and Hassani were arrested in 2022 and maintained their innocence during a trial which the rights group called 'grossly unfair and marred by allegations of torture and forced confessions'. 'According to informed sources, agents interrogated them without lawyers present and subjected them to torture and other ill-treatment, including beatings and prolonged solitary confinement, to extract self-incriminating statements,' it said in January. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the number of people executed in Iran rose to at least 901 in 2024, the highest number since 2015. The MEK, known in English as People's Mujahideen Organisation of Iran, was a powerful leftist-Islamist group that staged bombing campaigns against the shah's government and US targets in the 1970s but ultimately fell out with the other factions of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Since then, the MEK has opposed the Islamic Republic and its leadership in exile has been Paris-based. The group was listed as a terrorist organisation by the US and the EU until 2012.
eNCA
2 days ago
- eNCA
New cryptocurrency may be aiding Russia to dodge sanctions
Russia could be turning to a new cryptocurrency called A7A5 to allow money to flow in and out of the country and avoid Western sanctions, experts have told AFP. Multiple rounds of international sanctions have been imposed on Moscow since its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine seeking to ramp up economic pressure to halt the war. But the launch of A7A5 in February this year opened up an alternative payment method for Russian businesses and individuals to sidestep sanctions when trading with foreign partners, the UK-based non-profit Centre for Information Resilience (CIR) said in a report. A7A5 is a stablecoin -- a form of cryptocurrency backed by traditional assets -- in this case pegged to the ruble, making it harder for Western authorities to monitor than dollar-based alternatives. It was launched by a pro-Russian Moldovan oligarch and a Russian state-owned bank as "the first ever ruble-pegged stablecoin," George Voloshin from anti-money laundering group ACAMS told AFP. While it is not widely used yet, experts say its creation marks a significant step in Russia's efforts to reduce its dependence on major crypto companies -- many of which cooperate with Western governments. - Russian stablecoin - Since Russia was kicked out of the international banking system SWIFT and hit with asset freezes and investment bans, Moscow has already turned to crypto to sidestep financial restrictions imposed by the United States and its allies. Stablecoins are especially attractive because they are less volatile than other cryptocurrencies. People have also used cryptocurrency to donate directly to both the Ukrainian army and Russian militias, according to several analytics firms such as Elliptic. But Russia has faced a problem: USDT, the most popular stablecoin, is tied to the US dollar and controlled by a company called Tether, which cooperates with US and European authorities. Earlier this year, Tether blocked $28 million in USDT held in wallets on Garantex, Russia's largest crypto exchange, which was shut down following a global crackdown on illegal transactions. "That was a real wake-up call" for Russia, said Elise Thomas, senior investigator at CIR. "It made them think that they need their own stablecoin, they need something that they control," she added. Just before Garantex was shut down, tens of millions of dollars were moved from USDT into A7A5, according to data from crypto tracking firm Global Ledger. - How it works - A7A5 is backed by deposits in Promsvyazbank, a Russian bank under sanctions for its ties to the government and the military. The coin is traded on Grinex, a crypto exchange based in Kyrgyzstan -- a country seen as friendlier to Russian interests and less vulnerable to Western pressure. A7A5 is also registered in Kyrgyzstan rather than Russia because the country offers a crypto-friendly legal environment and is less exposed to "sanctions and other economic pressures," project director Leonid Shumakov said in an interview posted online. Less than six months after its launch, around $150 million is now held in A7A5. These transactions are not necessarily illegal, but they could become problematic if used by sanctioned individuals or entities to reconnect with the global financial system, warned ACAMS's Voloshin. The man behind the A7 group, which developed A7A5, is Ilan Shor, a Moldovan businessman and politician now living in Russia. Investigators found links between A7A5 and Shor's political activities in Moldova, including websites related to both sharing the same IP address. These findings have suggested that the cryptocurrency could be used as a tool for political influence. Shor and his company have already been sanctioned by the UK, and more recently by the European Union, which accused them of trying to meddle in Moldova's 2024 presidential election and its referendum on joining the EU -- all while keeping close ties with Moscow.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Uncovering the Past: The forgotten story of Krugersdorp's first police station
What did law enforcement look like in Krugersdorp before modern policing? The answer lies in the town's first police station. In this ninth edition of Echoes of Krugersdorp, produced in partnership with the Krugersdorp Heritage Association (KHA), we explore a lesser-known chapter in the town's history: the old police station on Commissioner Street in the CBD. Jaco Mattheyse, co-founder of the KHA, said that to understand this building, one must consider the social and political landscape of Krugersdorp in the 1890s. • Also read: Synagogue and storefronts: One man's mark on Krugersdorp's past At the time, the District Township – known today as Krugersdorp North – was little more than a skeletal settlement with a few streets and scattered buildings. 'Yet it managed to avoid becoming a ghost town because it retained some permanent residents and held political legitimacy as an administrative centre. Its existence, however, had minimal impact on the British residents of the Stand Township [today's Krugersdorp CBD],' Jaco explained. Few references to the District Township appear in local newspapers or archives. Most historical records mention only the Stand Township. While the Stand Township had a distinctly British character with a largely English-speaking population, it remained under the governance of Dutch-speaking officials from the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR). Law and order were enforced by the Republican Police, and local courts were presided over by magistrates. 'The key official in town was the Mijn Kommissaris [gold commissioner], who issued mining claims and stand licences and, for all practical purposes, acted as the town's mayor. A small but prosperous Dutch-speaking middle class of professionals, shopkeepers, merchants and traders also lived in the Stand Township, ensuring a noticeable Dutch presence,' Jaco said. This, he noted, created an equilibrium between the Dutch-speaking officials who controlled the local state apparatus and the English-speaking commercial elite who dominated the town's economic and social life – an arrangement that mirrored the relationship between the District and Stand Townships. • Also read: Through war and worship: A church's 135-year story By the 1890s, Krugersdorp had grown into a permanent settlement. Along with the new train station and grander government buildings erected on the Market Square, a police station was constructed in 1897 to meet the needs of a growing population and rising crime. 'Yet the police station was more than a mere response to practical necessity. It also symbolised the growing Boer national chauvinism that emerged following the gold discoveries and the subsequent enrichment of the ZAR government,' Jaco said. Although built in the western section of town, seemingly undermining the idea that it was meant to project Boer power onto the English-speaking mining population, Jaco suggested that the station could still be viewed as a symbol of Boer authority. This symbolism becomes clearer when considering the ideological significance of the town's east-west spatial axis, just as the north-south axis held its own meaning. 'Initially, the site of today's Department of Home Affairs was considered for the police station, as it marked the western edge of town. Ultimately, the second and final site chosen was lower-lying and more removed from the mines, possibly because the land was cheaper. Still, symbolic considerations likely influenced this choice.' Architecturally, Jaco described the police station as quintessentially republican, featuring Dutch Neo-Renaissance gables, ornate sandstone detailing and red brick walls. To reinforce its nationalist message, the foundation stone was laid by President Paul Kruger himself. Measuring 26 metres in length, the building made a bold architectural statement. The Republican Police were tasked not only with maintaining law and order, but also with preserving Boer control over an increasingly restless Uitlander (foreigner) population on the West Rand. • Also read: A burning passion: The story of Krugersdorp's fire station 'The station formed part of a complex that included a large stable block, which has unfortunately been lost over time. The first station commander was Sergeant Sarel Eloff, the grandson of President Kruger and son of Frikkie Eloff. The building was unique in the old Transvaal – outside Pretoria and Johannesburg, it was rare for towns to boast such a grand police station. None of the smaller Transvaal towns could match it,' Jaco said. He also noted that several police residences were constructed in the District Township's 'sacred' north, using the same distinctive republican red brick. Their placement symbolically linked the north and west parts of town. Together, these buildings and their style served as a powerful visual reminder of Boer Republican authority. 'This was reinforced by the sight of Boer commandos parading through the streets and the visibility of the Republican Vierkleur flag at strategic points around the town. As a result, the predominantly British commercial hub, centred on the Luipaardsvlei Estate and the Gold Mining Company Limited, found itself surrounded by an assertive, nationalist Transvaal Republican environment.' This spatial strategy deepened with the establishment of the Boer residential area of Burghershoop, also founded in 1897. Located on the town's western periphery, Burghershoop consisted of free government stands allocated to impoverished, marginalised Dutch-speaking Boers. Many of these settlers had been displaced from the land during the 1890s due to the capitalist transformation of agriculture, which replaced traditional sharecropping (bywoner) arrangements with wage labour. 'The devastating rinderpest outbreak in the late 1890s further contributed to the settlement's growth. The founding of Burghershoop, the western positioning of the police station, the Transvaal Republican architectural styles, and the visible nationalist displays by the Krugersdorp Commando all signalled an intentional imposition of Boer nationalist ideology onto what had previously been a more cosmopolitan town.' Later, the old police station was converted into sleeping quarters for officers after a new station was built next door. Like the old train station, it was plastered and painted white at some point. By the 1980s, the building had become severely dilapidated, but it was eventually restored to its original appearance. Plans to repurpose it as a museum sadly never materialised. Today, the building stands mostly vacant once more, its red bricks beginning to show the strain of time. A landmark of strength and symbolism in its day, the old Krugersdorp police station now awaits a new chapter – its walls still echoing the ambitions of a bygone era.
