Iranian protester 'subjected to mock executions in prison

One of the six people sentenced to death over the protests in Iran has been subjected to a mock execution three times, BBC Persian has reported.

Sahand Noormohammadzadeh, 27, was found guilty of "enmity against God" by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran last month. He was accused of setting a bin on fire and blocking traffic, an allegation he denied.

Cruel or degrading treatment of people in custody is prohibited under international human rights law.

Meanwhile, a human rights group has said at least 504 people have been executed by Iran so far this year. Iran Human Rights, which is based in Norway, made the claim on Tuesday as the country entered a second day of nationwide strikes.

The anti-government protests in Iran started in September following the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She had been arrested by the morality police in Tehran for reportedly not abiding by the country's strict dress code.

IHR said it was working to confirm additional cases of people said to have been hanged. Among the latest executions was a woman who was hanged on Saturday in Dastgerd, central Iran. She was accused of murdering her father-in-law, IHR said.

Rights groups have expressed alarm over the number of women being executed in Iran, often on charges of murdering partners or relatives in abusive relationships.

IHR said that the numbers executed in 2022 are already the highest in five years. According to its data, at least 333 people were executed last year, a 25 per cent increase compared to 267 in 2020.