People have been demonstrating across Iran for more than two months. Now the Revolutionary Court in Tehran has handed down the sixth death sentence in connection with the protests. A man is said to have pulled a knife with the intention of killing and to “unnerve society”, as it is said.
In Iran, another man has been sentenced to death in connection with the protests. The Revolutionary Court in Tehran found him guilty of “pulling a knife during the recent unrest with intent to kill, spread terror and unsettle society,” according to the Iranian judiciary’s website Misan Online.
According to the AFP news agency, this is the sixth death sentence imposed in connection with the demonstrations. Iran has been rocked by protests since the death of young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini on September 16. The 22-year-old was arrested by the moral police because she is said to have worn her headscarf improperly. She died a short time later in hospital. Activists accuse the police of abusing Amini.
The Iranian authorities describe most of the demonstrators as “rioters” who are being exploited by foreign powers and are cracking down on the protests with all their might. According to media reports, more than 300 people have been killed in the protests, including dozens of minors. Death toll figures are mostly disputed. More than 50 members of the police and security forces were also reported to have died.
The rulers in Iran are now also taking action against prominent critics. For example, the well-known actress Hengameh Ghasiani was arrested, as reported by the state news agency IRNA.
The 52-year-old, a vehement critic of the authorities’ crackdown, published a video on Instagram on Saturday evening in which she took off her headscarf in public. “Maybe this will be my last post,” she wrote. “Whatever happens to me, you should know that I will stand with the Iranian people until my last breath.” Last week she called the Iranian government a “child killer” and accused it of “murdering” more than 50 children.
According to Irna, Ghasiani was arrested for inciting and supporting “riots” and for contact with opposition media. According to Misan Online, seven other celebrities from film, sports and politics were also summoned by the judiciary. Among them is Jahja Golmohammadi, coach of the Tehran football club Persepolis FC. He had criticized the players of the Iranian national team for “not bringing the voice of the oppressed people to the authorities”.