In a ruling handed down on Wednesday, two convicted robbers have been sentenced to death by an Iranian court for “enmity against God”, a capital offence under the country’s laws.
According to the judiciary’s Mizan Online website, the two defendants were found guilty of using cold weapons to commit a robbery on a north Tehran highway on April 8, with the intention of creating insecurity and taking people’s property.
A third defendant involved in the robbery was sentenced to 25 years in prison. All three convicts have the option to appeal the ruling to Iran’s Supreme Court.
The sentences come as human rights groups continue to criticize Iran’s high execution rate, with at least 249 people executed in the first half of 2024 alone, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights.
Iran’s judiciary has consistently defended its use of capital punishment, stating that it is necessary to maintain order and deter crime in the country.
“Branch 28 of Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced two of the defendants in the case to death on the charge of Moharebeh (enmity against God) through using cold weapons in order to take people’s property and create insecurity,” Mizan Online reported.
