Iranian officials announced on Thursday the first execution of a prisoner sentenced to death for taking part in anti-government protests. The event is part of a wave of unrest that has unsettled the country since mid-September.
Mohsen Shekari was executed early on the morning of the report after being condemned on November 29 for injuring a Basij member, an Islamist security force, by means of a knife, blocking a street, and sowing fear in Tehran. The charges carried the death penalty under the nation’s judicial framework, which treats certain acts as acts of treason against the state. Prosecutors stated that the defendant had admitted receiving money for attacking law enforcement officers during the hearing and that the assault left the militia with 13 stitches. These details were reported by Mizan, the state news agency.
Shekari was the first person to be executed for participating in protests that have rattled Iran since the death of Mahsa Amini in September after her arrest by the Morality Police for allegedly violating the country’s dress code. The protests that began with her death have grown into a broad movement calling for fundamental changes to the Islamic Republic, which has governed Iran since 1979 under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s model of governance. The government has labeled many demonstrators as threats to national security while pursuing a harsh crackdown.
Judicial authorities have handed down death sentences to 11 additional protesters, with an unknown number of others facing possible capital punishment for their roles in the demonstrations. Amnesty International has condemned the use of the death penalty in these cases, estimating that at least 28 of the roughly 2,000 defendants could face executions. The organization has urged authorities to halt capital punishment and to ensure fair trials for those detained in connection with the protests. attribution: Amnesty International.
Independent monitors in Oslo, citing the Iran Human Rights organization, report that more than 400 people have been killed and at least 15,000 detained during the nearly three months of demonstrations. The casualty figures and detentions highlight the intensity of the protests and the government’s ongoing efforts to quell dissent while facing international scrutiny over human rights abuses and due process concerns. attribution: Iran Human Rights, Oslo.