Iran Executes Bank Guard for Murder of Senior Cleric Following Protests

Iran executed a bank guard on Wednesday, convicted of the fatal shooting of senior cleric Ayatollah Abbas Ali Soleimani in April, following months of protests and a severe security response. The unrest began after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in September under the custody of the country’s morality police. The demonstrations, fueled by anger over Amini’s death, eventually waned in the early months of this year.

State media reported that the execution was carried out in Babol, a northern city in Iran’s Mazandaran province. The event was attended by the victim’s family. The man was sentenced to death in May, and the Supreme Court confirmed the sentence. While no specific details were provided, executions in Iran typically involve hanging.

No clear motive for the April attack in Babolsar, near the execution site, was disclosed by the authorities. Ayatollah Soleimani, aged 77, was a prominent figure in Iran’s clerical hierarchy. He was a member of the Assembly of Experts, responsible for overseeing the position of Iran’s supreme leader, and had served as the personal representative of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the volatile Sistan and Baluchestan province.