Iran says it executed man over police officer killing

Iran's judiciary said authorities executed a man convicted of intentionally killing police officer Reza Ehterami during clashes in Bandar Abbas in 2022.

The judiciary's Mizan Online website cited local prosecutor Aref Akbari as saying the death sentence for the killer of Ehterami, a third lieutenant in the police emergency unit, had been carried out. Akbari said the execution followed an investigation and trial, and that the Supreme Court upheld the verdict.

The defendant, known in court as Danial, was accused of driving the vehicle that ran over Ehterami during clashes between police and fuel smugglers, according to earlier state media reports.

Rights groups including Amnesty International say Iran executes more people each year than any country except China. Iran uses capital punishment for offences including murder. Fuel prices in oil-rich Iran remain among the lowest in the world, encouraging smuggling to neighbouring countries.