MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Man hanged in Iran for violence in post-Amini protests

Shekari had been found guilty of war crimes “against the security of the nation and Islam.” (Pic Twitter)

A man has been executed by hanging in Iran following his indictment for his participation in the nationwide protests since the Sept. 16 death of young Mahsa Amini while in morality police custody for not wearing the veil properly.

 The prisoner, identified by the semi-official Tasnim agency as Mohsen Shekari, had been convicted of “intentionally” stabbing a member of the Basij paramilitary force in the back and blocking Sattar Khan Boulevard in Tehran on Sept. 25.

Iran's Judiciary rejected the appeals filed on behalf of Shekari on the grounds that the man had been found guilty of “war crimes.” Iran's Supreme Court upheld the sentence Thursday morning and had it carried out immediately. The magistrates based their decision on witness statements reportedly claiming people were frightened by the presence of the armed protester.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the NGO Iran Human Rights, has predicted that there would be “daily executions of protesters” unless “swift practical consequences at the international level” were enforced on Iran.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly warned that “the world cannot turn a blind eye to the abhorrent violence committed by the Iranian regime against its own people.”

“The UK is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances,” he added.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock underlined that “the Iranian regime's contempt for humanity is boundless,” although not even that would stifle the desire for freedom of the people.

France insisted that “this execution comes on top of other serious and unacceptable violations.”

Shekari was hanged for “waging war against God,” according to Mizan Online, a news agency affiliated with Iran’s judiciary.

At least 11 other Iranian protesters have been sentenced to death, with authorities seeking the death penalty for at least 21 people, according to Amnesty International.

Shekari was sentenced by Judge Abolghassem Salavati, a familiar name to US authorities. “Salavati alone has sentenced more than 100 political prisoners, human rights activists, media workers, and others seeking to exercise freedom of assembly to lengthy prison terms as well as several death sentences,” the US Treasury said in 2019. “Judges on these Revolutionary Courts, including Salavati, have acted as both judge and prosecutor, deprived prisoners of access to lawyers, and intimidated defendants.”

Iranian authorities announced earlier this week that five people had been sentenced to death for their involvement in the death of Basij militia member Rouhollah Ajamian, while 11 other people, including three minors, had been sentenced to “long terms” of imprisonment for the same crime, Iran's ISNA news agency reported.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard welcomed the ruling against those guilty of “crimes against the security of the nation and Islam.” According to Amnesty International, at least 21 others, including one woman, face charges that could lead to the gallows. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, who replaced former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet in the post, said the number of people executed in Iran exceeded 400 in September for the first time in five years.