JEDDAH: this week Iranian prosecutors have prosecuted 1,000 people for their participation in the massive protests that rocked the Tehran regime for nearly two months.
A spokesman for Tehran's chief justice said on Monday that the trial would be held publicly in a revolutionary court. He further explained that the protesters would be charged with "attacking security guards, killing them and vandalizing public property" and that many of them would face the death penalty.
This protest is one of the biggest challenges for the Iranian government since the 1979 revolution. Protesters took to the streets across the country after the September 16 death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amin, a Kurdish woman who was detained for improperly wearing a hijab.
Ruling forces have launched a brutal crackdown on the protesters, and the Iranian political dissident group MEK estimates that more than 450 people have been killed and at least 25,000 arrested.
Right-wing groups in Tehran said on Monday that a "trial" had begun. In a video posted on social media, the mother of 22-year-old protester Mohammad Ghobdlu said that her son had been sentenced to death by a court two days ago.
Mohammad Ghobdlu's mother further said that during the hearing her lawyer was also not allowed to enter the courtroom. The court interrogated him without any lawyer and sentenced him to death, it appeared as if the court just wanted to hang my son at the earliest.
Analysts said it is now clear that the regime is treating the protests as a serious threat. "Unfortunately, history has shown us that governments can use any level of violence to stay in power.""People are more determined to challenge the regime than ever before," said Syed Golkar of the University of Tennessee.
Amid widespread global condemnation of regime repression of the protests, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday that the European Union was considering further sanctions. "We condemn the excessive violence by the security forces and stand with the people of Iran."
Source: Arab News