#Iran #gay #love
Two teenagers executed in Iran for gay love
In 2005, the public execution of two teenagers in Mashhad, Iran, sparked global outrage and became a defining symbol of the persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals under the country’s penal code
The execution of minors and LGBTQ+ individuals remains a systemic issue in Iran
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📷Xtra Magazine +1
The 2005 Execution of Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni
On July 19, 2005, Mahmoud Asgari (16) and Ayaz Marhoni (18) were publicly hanged in Edalat (Justice) Square.
📷Wikipedia +1
Conflicting Charges: Official Iranian reports stated they were executed for the kidnapping and rape of a 13-year-old boy. However, international gay rights organizations, such as the Peter Tatchell Foundation, argued these were trumped-up charges used to mask the fact they were executed for consensual same-sex acts.
Juvenile Status: Both were minors at the time of the alleged offense, and Asgari was still a minor at the time of his death. This violated international treaties, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Iran has signed.
Global Impact: Photographs of the two teenagers weeping before their execution were widely circulated, leading to mass protests and the dedication of the Pet Shop Boys’ album Fundamental to their memory.📷Wikipedia +7
Ongoing Persecution in Iran
The execution of minors and LGBTQ+ individuals remains a systemic issue in Iran:
Continued Executions: In July 2016, 17-year-old Hassan Afshar was hanged for “forced male-to-male anal intercourse,” despite claims the act was consensual. In January 2022, two men, Mehrdad Karimpour and Farid Mohammadi, were executed on sodomy charges after six years on death row.
Legal Framework: Same-sex activity remains illegal and is punishable by flogging or death under Sharia law. Human rights groups like Amnesty International report that the government frequently uses charges like “rape” or “kidnapping” to justify the execution of gay men and avoid international backlash.
Targeting Activists: In 2022, two LGBTQ+ activists, Zahra Sedighi-Hamadani and Elham Choubdar, were sentenced to death on charges of “corruption on earth,” though their sentences were later overturned following international pressure.📷Amnesty International +6— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Mar 3, 2026
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