Iranian justice has confirmed that five people have been sentenced to death in cases linked to the protests. Tehran, Iran – Reports that the Iranian state has sentenced some 15,000 people to death for taking part in the country’s two months of protests have been widely circulated on social media and in the news. First reported by Newsweek, it was so widespread that even Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, tweeted about the allegation, saying, “Canada denounces the Iranian regime’s barbaric decision to execute nearly 15,000 protesters.” . Those protesters have taken to the streets almost every day since the September 16 death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested by the country’s morality police in Tehran for allegedly not complying with Iran’s dress code for women. . But Trudeau later deleted the tweet and Newsweek corrected its story. Let’s take a closer look:
Is the 15,000 number real?
While thousands have been arrested in Iran and some have been sentenced to death, the numbers are nowhere near the reported 15,000. The 15,000 figure is the number of people believed to have been arrested, according to human rights groups and foreign-based media. The same sources said that more than 350 protesters have been killed.
Where did the story of 15,000 executions come from?
News of the executions appears to have stemmed from a statement signed by 227 of Iran’s 290 parliamentarians, which said people involved in “moharebeh” (waging war against God) must be dealt with “decisively” with a response who will “teach by example”. . Along with “corruption on Earth”, moharebeh is among the charges used by the Iranian judiciary that can carry the death penalty, hence the apparent misreporting that led to claims that 15,000 people had been sentenced to death. The statement was criticized online, and some lawmakers tried to clarify their position by saying they did not mean all the protesters should be executed. Days later, a document began circulating online that purported to list the names of 227 MPs in a letter calling on the judiciary to treat all those arrested in the protests as individuals involved in mohareb. However, the letter appears to be fake as the list of MPs is old and includes former MPs. For example, Eshan Khandoozi, mentioned in the letter, has been President Ebrahim Raisi’s Minister of Economy since August 2021. The Iranian judiciary also rejected the authenticity of the letter.
How many people have been sentenced to death?
The fact that excessive reports have been shot down does not mean that execution sentences have not been imposed. On Sunday, the Iranian judiciary announced that the first death sentence was handed down to an unnamed “riot” accused of mohareb, “corruption on Earth” and “arsoning a government center, disturbing public order and conspiring to commit crimes against national security.” The judiciary also announced on Wednesday that four more people were sentenced to death in connection with the protests. Two people were convicted of “using a knife in the street to cause fear and terror to people” in addition to attacking others with the knife and arson. Another is accused of running over and killing a police officer with a car, while a fourth is accused of playing the role of “leader” in street riots and blocking roads.
Several other people, also unnamed, have been sentenced to between five and 10 years in prison on charges related to national security. The judiciary said the rulings, issued in Tehran, were preliminary and would have to be approved by an appeals court to become final – after which details could be made public. Judicial officials have said more than 1,000 indictments have been issued against the “riots” in Tehran, with many more in other parts of the country.
What’s new about the protests?
Protests continued to spread across the country, with videos emerging daily despite strict internet restrictions imposed by the authorities. Protests and strikes were held on Tuesday and Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the country’s 2019 nationwide protests. Iranian authorities have declined to release official tallies of how many people have been killed, injured or arrested during the protests. However, they said more than 40 members of the security forces have been killed.
