Iran Protests: Claims against arrests and executions
The UN Human Rights Council steps up protests in Iran and demands that authorities release detainees and refrain from issuing death sentences.
Tuesday, Council spokesman Jeremy Lawrence said: “We are calling on the Iranian authorities to release all those detained in connection with the peaceful protests as soon as possible and to drop the charges against them.”
According to Lawrence, “more than 1,000” indictments have been issued against Iranian protesters and one person has been sentenced to death, “instead of giving the opportunity to discuss the legitimate protest, the authorities responded to these unprecedented protests by increasing militancy.”
According to reports, nine people face charges of “war” and “corruption on earth”, which are among the most prominent charges punishable by death in Iran.
“Crimes that do not directly or intentionally cause death cannot be the basis for capital punishment,” Lawrence said. “We therefore demand that the Iranian authorities immediately halt any death sentence, refrain from capital charges and abolish the death penalty in the absence of the most serious crimes.”
On Monday, the UN Human Rights Council announced it would hold a special meeting on November 24th on the “deteriorating human rights situation” in Iran.
The representatives of Germany and Iceland requested the Board to hold a special meeting on Friday, which was approved by the majority of members.
Anger absorption
Iranian state media announced the release of a number of prisoners in the south-eastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
The attempt was made to absorb the province’s rising popular anger against the regime following the killing of about 100 demonstrators and the injury of 300 others in late September.
According to reports, the demonstrators were released at the request of “tribal leaders” and with the consent of the Prime Minister. These people were “pardoned” and released. According to the law, an amnesty for these political prisoners will mean the closure of their case.
Another 40 people will be released in the coming days.
After several weeks of protest and criticism by Maulvi Abdul Hamid, Iran’s Sunni leader and Imam of Jomaa City, a delegation from Sistan and Baluchistan province representing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei visited.
Khamenei’s special representative, Hajj Ali Akbari, said Khamenei’s “actions” are scheduled to be discussed with tribal leaders and Sunni clerics in Sistan and Baluchistan province.
“Under Khamenei’s orders, those killed and injured in the protests from the innocent will be financially compensated and the dead will be included in the list of Iran’s Martyrs Foundation,” Akbari said.
Iran has been witnessing popular anti-regime protests since mid-September, following the death of a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, at the hands of the morality police in Tehran after her arrest for not observing the headscarf.
According to the Iranian human rights organization Hirana, the protests left 339 people, including 52 children, dead and wounded. The authorities are refusing to disclose the exact numbers of those killed, injured, and detained.
