 "Iran sentences three to death over Islamic State-linked shrine attacks")
Iran has sentenced three people to death and handed prison terms to several others in connection with two deadly Islamic State-claimed shootings at a major Shiite shrine in Shiraz, the judiciary announced Sunday.
The verdicts follow attacks in October 2022 and August 2023 on the Shah Cheragh mausoleum, a revered religious site in the capital of Fars province. The shootings killed 15 people and were later claimed by the Islamic State group.
According to Fars province’s chief justice, Sadrollah Rajaei-Nasab, the three individuals were convicted of aiding and abetting in “corruption on earth,” a charge that carries the death penalty in Iran. The Revolutionary Court in Shiraz also sentenced them to 25 years in prison for assisting in “moharebeh,” or enmity against God, another serious capital offence under Iran’s Islamic penal code.
Two other individuals described as Islamic State members were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years in prison based on what authorities said was their level of involvement and cooperation in the shrine attacks.
The judiciary also sentenced two women to five years each. However, their punishment will be carried out under “Islamic leniency” provisions. They will be monitored with electronic ankle bracelets and confined within a one-kilometre radius of their homes, Rajaei-Nasab said.
The verdicts are part of a broader case that includes weapons trafficking and other charges still under judicial review. Some of the rulings have been appealed to Iran’s Supreme Court.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIn July 2023, Iran publicly executed two men convicted over the first Shah Cheragh attack. Authorities said the second attack, in August 2023, led to the arrest of nine suspects, all of whom were identified as foreign nationals. A Tajik national, also linked to the Islamic State, was sentenced to death in September.
The Shah Cheragh shrine, one of the holiest sites for Shiite Muslims in southern Iran, has become a target for militants in recent years, underlining the country’s security challenges amid broader regional unrest.
_With inputs from agencies _
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