In connection with the system-critical protests in Iran, a death sentence against a demonstrator has been confirmed. According to the Iranian judiciary, the Supreme Court on Saturday upheld a death sentence passed on a 32-year-old man last month.
This is said to have run over six police officers in November. One police officer was killed and five were injured, the authority said on its website. At the same time, the death sentence against an Iranian-Kurdish rapper was reversed by the Supreme Court.
According to UN reporters, Saman J. was sentenced to death at the end of October because he had written songs criticizing the government. The verdict was overturned on Saturday, according to a report on the website. The rapper is now set to appear in court again.
The Supreme Court had previously allowed the appeal of the two cases. There were deficiencies in the investigation of the two cases, the judicial authorities said on Saturday, according to their Misan information service.
Two protesters have already been executed this month in response to nationwide protests against the country’s leadership that erupted in September. Mohsen Shekari, 23, was accused of blocking a main road and stabbing a member of the Basij paramilitary militia in September.
Two demonstrators have already been executed
Majid Reza Rahnaward, also 23, was accused of stabbing two Basij members. Both were hanged. The Basij militia is a paramilitary volunteer group attached to the powerful Revolutionary Guards; it plays an important role in the massive crackdown on demonstrators.
According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, the authorities are demanding the death penalty for at least 21 people. The organization speaks of mock trials aimed at intimidating demonstrators.
The human rights organization HRANA announced that 506 people had been killed during the protest rallies by Friday. Among them are 69 minors. More than 18,500 protesters were arrested. 66 members of the security forces were also killed in the unrest.
The protests were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The Kurd died in police custody on September 16. The so-called morality police had arrested her because she was said to have been dressed inappropriately. The protests have since grown into the greatest challenge to leadership since 1979.
At that time, the Shah was overthrown in the course of the Islamic Revolution, and the Islamic Republic was proclaimed – with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as the spiritual and political leader. Street signs bearing his name have already been torn down in the course of the protests. At rallies, the overthrow of the leadership under Khomeini’s successor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was also openly demanded. (Reuters)
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