Iran’s judiciary sentenced three more people to death after arresting them during anti-government protests that have gripped the country since September.
(Bloomberg) — Iran’s judiciary sentenced three more people to death after arresting them during anti-government protests that have gripped the country since September.
Widespread demonstrations have roiled Iran after the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman who was arrested for allegedly flouting the country’s Islamic dress codes.
The latest execution orders came despite international condemnation and an outpouring of public anger at the hanging of four men who were put on trial for serious crimes linked to the protests. Pope Francis became the latest leader to condemn Iran for the deaths in a speech on Monday.
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The three men were handed death sentences for being allegedly involved in a Nov. 16 clash in the city of Esfahan that led to the deaths of three memebrs of the security forces, according to the judiciary’s official news portal, Mizan Online.
It named them as Saleh Mirhashemi Boltaghi, Majid Kazemi Sheikh-Shabani and Saeed Yaghoubi Kordesofla.
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A former professional footballer, Amir Nasr-Azadani, who was tried in the same case, was handed a lesser sentence of 26 years in prison after he was also charged with “waging war on God,” which carries the death penalty.
The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights said on Monday that 109 protesters have either already been sentenced to death or are at risk of facing execution. The group also raised its estimate of the number of people killed by security forces in the protests to 481, including 64 children.
On Sunday, Iran hanged Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini, raising to four the number of protesters hanged so far.
–With assistance from Patrick Sykes.
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