News 360 - 9 December 2022 - by Daniel Stewart
At least two dozen Iranian protesters face possible execution as a response by authorities to their participation in protests critical of the government, according to a report published Saturday by local daily 'Etimad'.
The newspaper published a list drawn up by the Iranian authorities accusing 25 demonstrators of "waging war against God", a charge that, according to Iranian law, is punishable by death.
The list of 25 defendants includes rapper Mohsen Shekari, who was executed on Thursday on charges of assaulting a security guard with a gun, inciting terror and blocking a road.
Iranian judicial authorities have already announced that new executions will be carried out, while much of the international community and the most critical domestic sectors, such as 'Etimad' itself, call on the authorities to review the convictions and avoid new executions.
Shekari's death has already drawn strong condemnation at home and abroad, although Iranian political leaders, including President Ebrahim Raisi, described the execution as a legitimate response to unrest across the country.
Protesters have threatened to act in response and have spread the slogan 'Await our revenge' on social media. Meanwhile, internationally, Iranians abroad have also announced new anti-government protests over the weekend.
Iran has been the scene of protests since mid-September, when Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman, died in police custody after being arrested for not wearing the veil properly and violating Islamic dress codes.
Since then, as the demonstrations have continued, the authorities have violently repressed them, earning new sanctions from the international community for human rights issues.
However, from Tehran they do not consider to be giving arguments for the mobilizations and have accused the "enemies" of Iran and "mercenaries" of being behind the massive protests. The authorities consider that the majority of Iranians continue to support the Islamic system.
