Iran has executed its first prisoner accused of taking part in the anti-regime protests raging across the country since September. On Thursday, 23-year old Mohsen Shekari was hanged for the crime of “Moharebeh,” or “Enmity Against Allah,” an act punishable by death according to Iran’s Islamic Sharia law.
“Iran has conducted the first known execution in relation to the anti-government protests that have rocked the country, hanging a man who was found guilty by a revolutionary court of “waging war against God”,” the London-based Guardian newspaper reported.
Shekari was among several Iranians who have recently been sentenced to death for participating in protests that began some three months ago after the custodial death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman accused of violating country’s strict Islamic dress code. The Associated Press noted that “at least a dozen people so far have received death sentences over their involvement in the demonstrations.”
Germany and the United Kingdom responded with a fresh round of sanctions against Tehran following Thursday’s execution.
The French government indicated that a new set of EU sanctions were being finalized. “The European Union is set to agree new sanctions targeting Iran over human rights abuses in its crackdown on protesters in the country and the supply of drones to Russia, France’s foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday,” Reuters reported.
Germany’s DW TV reported the international reaction:
A German government spokesperson told reporters in Berlin on Friday that the government “strongly condemns the Iranian regime’s death sentence and execution of a demonstator in connection with the demonstrations in Iran.”The government said sanctions include “six individuals linked to the Revolutionary Courts that have been responsible for prosecuting protesters with egregious sentences including the death penalty.” (…)The UK announced sanctions on Friday against several individuals globally, including 10 linked to the Iranian judiciary and prison systems. Two among the 10 are former directors of the notorious Evin prison in Tehran, and they face a travel ban to the UK along with having their assets frozen as part of sanctions.Canada announced sanctions on 67 individuals and nine entities in several countries, including members of Iranian judiciary for “gross and systematic human rights violations.” (…)The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Thursday decried the execution of the protester, saying “executions following unfair trials constitute an arbitrary deprivation of life.”
In recent weeks, Iranian courts have held show trials and handed out death sentences to protestors for the ‘crime’ of daring to protest against regime. Last month, a group of United Nations-designated human rights experts confirmed in a statement that the Shia-Islamic regime was “indicting people with charges punishable by death for participating in peaceful demonstrations.”
Besides sentencing protesters to death, the regime forces are killing demonstrators in a bid to quell the uprising. More than 400 Iranians have died since the protests first began in mid-September following the death of a 22-year-old Iranian girl in the custody of the Sharia-enforcing Morality Police.
An estimated 16,000 Iranians have since been arrested for taking part in the protests.
Despite police shootings, mass-arrests, and death sentences, the anti-regime protests seem to continue in Iran. Social media videos showed defiant Iranians calling for the “death of the dictator” Ayatullah Khamenei, and for an end to the 43-year-long Islamic rule.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY