Two Tibetans have been executed for inciting riots in Lhasa last year, a Chinese government spokesman confirmed on Tuesday. They are the first known executions following the violence that erupted last March in Tibet’s capital.

The two Tibetans, Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak (who went by one name), were sentenced to death in April on charges related to arson in the first days of violent demonstrations that swept through Lhasa. Ma Zhaoxu, China’s foreign ministry spokesman, confirmed the executions at a press conference in Beijing.