Iran’s Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentences of two people and ordered a retrial for three others in the case of the murder of a militiaman during protests over the death of Mahsa Amini.
Protests in Iran erupted after the death on September 16 of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died following her arrest by morality police for violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code, including the wearing of the veil in public for women.
Authorities say hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed in what they generally describe as “riots”, and thousands have been arrested.
Five people had been sentenced to death at first instance for the murder during demonstrations on November 3 in Karaj, west of Tehran, of a member of the Basidji militia, linked to the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army from Iran.
After review, the Supreme Court “confirmed the sentences of convicts Mohammad Mahdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini”, according to a court statement on Tuesday. Those of “Hamid Ghare-Hasanlou, Hossein Mohammadi and Reza Aria were canceled for procedural flaws” and a “new trial” was ordered.
Eleven other defendants in the same case were sentenced to long prison terms, but will have a new trial after “flaws in the investigation” were found, according to the text.
Amnesty International had said that Hamid Ghare-Hasanlou, a doctor, and his wife Farzaneh were on their way to the funeral of a person killed during the protests when they were “caught up in the chaos” of the attack on the militiaman.
In addition, an Iranian, Mehdi Mohammadifard, was sentenced to death at first instance for “corruption on earth” and “Moharebeh” (war against God), after being found guilty of causing a fire, destroying public property and plotted “against the security of the country”, according to Mizan Online, the information site of the judiciary.
This verdict can be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Human rights groups outside Iran said Mehdi Mohammadifard was 18 and had been convicted of burning down a traffic police kiosk in Nowshahr (west) during the protests.
The court sentenced a total of 13 people to death in connection with the protests: two were executed, four confirmed by the Supreme Court – those of Mohammad Boroghani and Mohammad Ghobadlou in addition to those of Karami and Hosseini -, and six await their new court case. 13eMr. Mohammadifard can appeal to the Supreme Court.