In Iran, a death sentence was imposed for the first time in connection with weeks of protests against the country’s leadership. A court in the capital Tehran handed down the death penalty, the judicial official said on its website Misan Online on Sunday. The convict was found guilty of, among other things, setting fire to a government building, “disturbing public order” and threatening “national security”. He is also accused of “corruption in the land” and of being an “enemy of God” – one of the most serious criminal offenses under Iranian law.
According to Misan Online, another Tehran court also sentenced five defendants to prison terms of between five and ten years for “conspiring to commit crimes against national security and disturbing public order.” Convicts can still appeal.
Week of protests underway after the death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini
Iran has been rocked by a sustained wave of protests since the death of young Kurdish Mahsa Amini on 16 September. Amini was arrested by the moral police because she allegedly used her veil inappropriately. She died a short time later in the hospital.
Dozens of people – mainly protesters but also security forces – were killed during the protests. Iranian authorities condemned the protests as “riots”.
The Iranian parliament had previously denied reports that most lawmakers had called for severe penalties for protesters detained in Iran. “The letter from 227 parliamentarians mentioned in the media was a forged document and reports in this regard are therefore denied,” the parliament announced in a press release on Sunday.
Accusation of a “War Against God”
Some lawmakers only called for severe penalties for those involved in killings and bloodshed during the riots, the FARS news agency said in a statement. Observers saw the allegation of an alleged forgery as a setback.
According to media reports, 227 of the 290 lawmakers issued a statement last week accusing participants of the nationwide protests of “war on God” and demanding corresponding verdicts from the judiciary. Under Islamic law, the charge of “war against God” can also result in the death penalty – and that’s how it was assessed at home and abroad.
Observers in the country believe that the claim that the statement released by state media was a forgery is not credible. Therefore, according to his assessment, the denial is just an attempt to withdraw the de facto death penalty appeal for the protesters, who were sentenced in the strongest possible terms at home and abroad. Iran’s parliament has been dominated by radicals since 2020, known for their radical decisions – and poorly regarded ever since. (apa, afp, dpa)