An Iranian man has been handed down a death sentence by a revolutionary court in Tehran for the murder of a member of the Iranian security forces during the January unrest across the country, a source familiar with the case said on Tuesday.
The death sentence against the Iranian man, whose name has been given as Mohammad Abbasi, has yet to be confirmed by the Iranian authorities.
It has to be approved by the Supreme Court of Iran before the Iranian government can go ahead to execute the death sentence.
The Iranian man has been accused of “enmity against God” – a charge that encompasses a wide range of offenses against the state’s security and is referred to by the term “moharebeh.”
The charge has been leveled against Abbasi for the murder of a member of the Iranian security forces during the January unrest across Iranian cities.
The Iranian man has denied the charges leveled against him by the Iranian authorities, with his family stating that he did not commit the murder.
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The Iranian judiciary has failed to provide information on the case, including the evidence presented to the court or the actual events surrounding the case.
The protests were held earlier this year amid rising public discontent over economic, political, and social issues. The protests soon developed into one of the biggest waves of internal unrest in the country’s history, with many from different parts of the country participating in the rallies.
The government responded to the unrest with a massive security operation to quash the protests, including arrests, deployment of paramilitary police, and communication restrictions, according to human rights groups and eyewitness accounts.
Human rights groups have estimated that thousands of people were killed during confrontations between the protesters and government security forces, but the actual number of casualties is still a matter of controversy, with independent verification of the figures proving difficult to obtain due to restrictions on information release within the country.
Iran has failed to release official figures on the number of casualties resulting from the unrest across the country.
The source familiar with Abbasi’s case stated that legal representation had been a main concern throughout the case’s proceedings.
The source stated that Abbasi and his daughter were denied the right to have legal representation of their choice, instead being assigned public defenders. Iranian judicial officials have yet to comment on these charges.
Fatemeh Abbasi, the daughter of Abbasi, received a 25-year prison sentence for her supposed involvement in protest activities, the source stated.
The specifics of the charges against her have yet to be disclosed along with the reasons behind the length of the sentence.
Iran’s revolutionary courts were established following the Islamic Revolution of 1979. These courts have jurisdiction over cases involving national security issues, political crimes, and some religious offenses.
These trials are held behind closed doors, with swift sentencing decisions being handed down. Iranian officials have stated that these trials are conducted within the boundaries of Iranian law, while international rights groups have accused the country of having low transparency levels and limiting defense rights within these trials.
The impending execution has again brought international focus to the Iranian government’s response to cases involving protests.
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During the protests, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened that the Iranian government’s execution of cases related to the protests could lead to military intervention by the U.S. government, which was indicative of the tensions between the two nations at the time.
The Iranian government dismissed criticism from other nations, stating that the judicial system was an internal matter that fell within the Iranian government’s laws.
The death penalty is still legal in Iran and is used to punish a variety of crimes, including murder, drug trafficking, and some national security offenses.
Executions related to political protests have long been a source of strong condemnation from Western nations and human rights organizations, who fear that the executions could serve to heighten tensions and preclude dialogue.
It is important to note that the appeals process can greatly impact the final outcome of capital punishment cases in Iran.
The Supreme Court may uphold the decision, retry the case, or reverse the decision altogether, depending on its assessment of the case. This process takes anywhere from weeks to months.
The judiciary has, in past protest-related cases, reduced or commuted sentences, especially on appeal or due to public scrutiny, although the verdicts have been inconsistent.
The repeated assurances from authorities were that individuals accused of violent crimes against security forces would be prosecuted under existing laws.
The developments in the Abbasi case, say diplomatic observers, will likely be of interest to governments and organizations elsewhere, which are evaluating Iran’s response to the unrest and how it is dealing with arrested protesters.