Iran says two hanged over police killings

Iran's judiciary said authorities hanged Amirhossein Maleki and Amirhossein Ebrahimi on Tuesday after convicting them over involvement in the killing of four police officers during January protests in Isfahan.

The judiciary's Mizan Online website said the executions were carried out after the men's cases went through legal review and the Supreme Court upheld their death sentences following appeals.

Mizan Online described the pair as among the main perpetrators of the crime and said they had been armed and present at the scene. The judiciary said they were sentenced to death on charges of moharebeh, or waging war against God, and corruption on earth through actions against national security.

Protests erupted in Iran in December over a surge in foreign currency rates and escalated into anti-government demonstrations, peaking on January 8 and 9. Tehran has accused Israel and the United States of fomenting the protests.

Official figures say more than 3,000 people, including police and security personnel, were killed during the clashes, while rights groups based abroad have cited higher figures.

Iranian authorities executed Alireza Sepahi and Alireza Raissi in early October for involvement in the same case. Amnesty International says Iran carries out more executions than any country except China.