Iran hangs man for armed rebellion amid wave of executions

TEHRAN: Iran on Tuesday executed a man convicted of armed rebellion, the judiciary said, the latest in a wave of hangings since war broke out with Israel and the US."The death sentence for Abdoljalil Shahbakhsh, son of Jalal, a trained member of the Ansar al-Furqan terrorist group, was carried out this morning," the judiciary's Mizan Online website said.He had been charged with rebellion "through armed attacks on police headquarters and membership in the Ansar al-Furqan rebel group", the authorities added.Ansar al-Furqan is a Sunni militant group active in Iran's southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan.The judiciary said Shahbakhsh carried out his attacks during protests that rocked Iran in 2022 and 2023 following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian Kurdish woman.His sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court, authorities added.Iran is the world's second-most prolific executioner after China, according to rights groups.Norway-based group Iran Human Rights says the Islamic republic executed at least 1,500 people last year, one of the highest numbers worldwide.The country has been at war with Israel and the US since late February, with a ceasefire in place since April 8.Since the start of the conflict, Iran has ramped up executions, particularly in cases involving alleged espionage or security-related charges.On Monday, Iran hanged a man convicted of spying for Israel and the US.