Death sentences for Iran protesters

Death sentences for Iran protesters

Thousands of people were arrested during protests over Iran's disputed presidential election Three people arrested after Iran's disputed presidential election have been sentenced to death, the Iranian ISNA news agency said. "Three people who were accused in the post-election incidents have been sentenced to death," ISNA quoted Zahed Bashiri Rad, media officer at the justice ministry, as saying on Saturday. Bashiri Rad, giving only the initials of the convicts, said that "MZ and AP were convicted for ties with the Kingdom Assembly of Iran and NA for ties with the Monafeghin (exiled opposition group commonly known as People's Mujahideen). Prosecutors said the accused admitted to spying but human rights groups say torture is used to obtain so-called confessions. In video Iranian reformists face trial over poll unrest Iran opposition angry with Russia On Thursday, a reformist website reported that a member of a group seeking to restore Iran's monarchy has been sentenced to death for his involvement in the unrest, identifying him as Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani. Judiciary officials were not available to confirm if he was the "MZ" mentioned by ISNA on Saturday. On Friday, Amnesty International urged Tehran to lift the death sentence on Zamani. A member of the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, he was among scores of arrested people in the post-vote mass demonstrations, it said. Bashiri Rad said the death sentences were "not final and they can still be appealed to the supreme court." He also said some other defendants received their sentences and they have appealed, but did not give the details of the verdicts. Disputed poll Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election as Iran's president in a controversial June 12 vote was followed by mass street protests over alleged vote-rigging. Iranian authorities alleged the protests were sponsored by hostile nations. The opposition said at least 69 people were killed and thousands arrested in a crackdown that followed the protests. Most of those detained have been released, but more than 100 prominent opposition supporters are now on trial on accusations of plotting to use the anti-election protests to overthrow Iran's clerical leadership.

Source: Agencies