The violent wave of protests against the Iranian rulers has already claimed the lives of countless protesters. Now the first death sentence has been handed down in connection with the riot. The convict in the capital Tehran was found guilty of, among other things, setting fire to a government building, “disrupting public order” and threatening “national security”, the judiciary said on Sunday.
More death sentences could follow. Ten men and a woman are on trial in connection with the murder of a member of the Basij militia at a rally on November 3. The Basij is a volunteer militia that serves as an auxiliary police force and has units in every Iranian city. According to Misan Online, another court in Tehran also sentenced five defendants to prison terms of five to 10 years for “conspiracy to commit crimes against national security and disturbing public order”. Convicts can still appeal.
Attack on Basij base
The nationwide demonstrations against the leadership of the Islamic Republic, which have been going on for weeks, apparently continued over the weekend. A video has been published on the widely read Twitter account 1500tasvir that allegedly shows overnight protests in the coastal town of Babolsar on the Caspian Sea. It shows how petrol bombs are dropped on a Basij base (see tweet below). The Basij militia, loyal to the clergy, was deployed to crush the protests.
“War Against God”
A few days ago, media reports caused a sensation over a statement by the Iranian parliament, accusing the demonstrators of “war against God” and demanding draconian punishments from the judiciary. Under Islamic law, the charge of “war against God” could also result in the death penalty – and so it was judged at home and abroad. The claims were dismissed on Sunday. “The letter from 227 Members of the European Parliament mentioned in the media was a forged document and the reports on it are thus denied,” the Parliament said in a press statement.
Some MPs called for harsh sentences only for those involved in the killings and bloodshed during the unrest, FARS news agency said in a statement. Observers viewed the accusation of an alleged counterfeit as a pushback. Observers in the country believe that the claim that the statement picked up by state media was a forgery is not credible. Therefore, in their view, the denial is merely an attempt to withdraw the demand for the death penalty for the demonstrators, which has been condemned in the strongest possible terms at home and abroad. Iran’s parliament has been dominated by hardliners since 2020, who have since become known for their radical – and ill-considered – decisions.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
