Iran issues first death sentence over protests
- Iran state media said the accused was sentenced to death for setting fire to a government building
- The Islamic republic has been gripped by protests that erupted over the death of Amini on September 16
Iran’s Revolutionary Court has sentenced an anti-government protester to death, and handed down jail terms to five others, state media said on Sunday, amid persistent unrest in the country.
The ruling likely marks the first death sentence in the trials of those arrested for taking part in protests that have swept Iran over the past weeks demanding an end to clerical rule.
Mizan, a news website is linked to Iran’s judiciary, said the death sentence followed on charges of the protester setting fire to a government building.
The five prison terms ranged from five to 10 years and alleged national security and public order violations.
Mizan said separate branches of the Revolutionary Court issued the verdicts but did not share further details of the protesters on trial, who can appeal the decisions.
The court was established following the 1979 Islamic Revolutions and is known for meting out harsh punishments to those who oppose Iran’s clerical rulers.
