Iran executes three men for killing police officers and alleged Western espionage

Iran executed three men by hanging after convicting them of killing police officers and providing assistance to the United States and Israel. The Iranian judiciary carried out the executions despite accusations that the case involved torture and abuse of the country's "war against God" law, a charge often used in cases involving national security. The executions highlight Iran's continued use of capital punishment in cases involving alleged espionage and attacks on security forces. Iran frequently accuses detained individuals of spying for Western countries, particularly the United States and Israel, charges that are often disputed by human rights organizations and the defendants themselves. Human rights groups have long criticized Iran's judicial system for conducting trials that lack due process protections and for extracting confessions through torture. The "war against God" charge, known as moharebeh in Islamic law, carries the death penalty and has been increasingly applied to protesters and those accused of opposing the Iranian government.