Four Iranian protestors sentenced to death, rights group says
Four Iranian protestors detained in connection with the nationwide uprising in January have been sentenced to death, the US-based rights group the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported.
According to the report, Mohammadreza Majidi-Asl, Bita Hemmati, Behrouz Zamani-Nejad, and Kourosh Zamani-Nejad were sentenced to death by Iman Afshari, head of Branch 26 of Tehran Revolutionary Court.
Amir Hemmati, the fifth defendant in the case, was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison, HRANA said.
They were sentenced to death on alleged charges of “operational collaboration with the hostile government of the United States and hostile groups,” HRANA said, adding that each also received five years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security.”
The verdict cited participation in protest gatherings on January 8 and 9, chanting protest slogans, throwing objects such as bottles, concrete blocks, and incendiary materials from rooftops, and damaging public property as evidence against the defendants.
The court also ordered the confiscation of all their assets.
HRANA said the accused were subjected to pressure during interrogations, raising concerns about forced confessions.
It was not immediately clear whether the defendants had access to lawyers of their choosing, the details of their court proceedings, or the conditions of their detention.
