The regime in Iran is reacting harshly to the anti-government demonstrations. A second death sentence has now been imposed there in connection with the protests that have been going on for weeks. Two days after the first death sentence, an Iranian court imposed another death sentence on a “rioter”. The Iranian judicial authority announced this on Tuesday evening on its website “Misan Online”.
The accused was found guilty by a revolutionary court of “terrorizing people on the street with a stabbing weapon”, setting fire to a motorcycle and attacking a person with a knife. The convict was also referred to as an “enemy of God” – one of the most serious criminal offenses under Iranian law.
On Sunday, a court in Tehran handed down the first death sentence in connection with the protests. The accused were found guilty of, among other things, setting fire to a government building, disturbing public order and threatening national security. Five other defendants were sentenced to prison terms of between five and ten years. Those affected can still appeal.
Iran has been rocked by protests since the death of young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini on September 16. The 22-year-old was arrested by the moral police because she is said to have worn her headscarf improperly. She died a short time later in hospital. The Iranian authorities have condemned the demonstrations as “riots” and have already arrested hundreds of people.
Meanwhile, the state news agency IRNA reported the deaths of three Iranian security forces. Two members of the Revolutionary Guards and a member of the Basij militia were killed in three different cities on Tuesday by demonstrators who recalled the suppression of mass protests against high fuel prices in November 2019. The two Revolutionary Guards were shot dead, the militiaman was hit by an incendiary device.
According to media reports, thousands of people took to the streets in Iran on Tuesday. Activists had called for protests and strikes lasting several days in the past few days. In view of the restrictions on the Internet, activists in the country are increasingly relying on slips of paper.
Meanwhile, the police and security forces increased their presence in central squares and bazaars. In the capital Tehran, the state power used drones, and shots were heard in some places on Tuesday, according to a report by the German Press Agency, eyewitnesses reported. Many shops in the country had been closed, and some retailers also went on strike in solidarity with the protests. Videos on social media showed protests and violent clashes in several parts of the country.
A video shared thousands of times on social media showed panicked scenes at a subway station. In the approximately 30-second clip, people fall over each other while gunshots can be heard in the background. The place and time of the recording could not be independently verified. However, meetings in the metro with critical slogans against the Islamic Republic have been frequent in the past.
