Conflicts & War

Iranian NGO warns of ‘hasty executions’ amid protests

Copenhagen, Nov 14 (EFE).- An Iranian NGO on Monday warned of the risk of “hasty executions” being carried out in Iran after a man was sentenced to death for allegedly participating in the protests that have gripped the country for the last two months.

Iran Human Rights, which is based in Norway, said 20 protesters were currently facing death sentences for their alleged involvement in the unrest.

The warning came after Iran’s state-owned news agency Mizan reported that a court had handed a death sentence to an unnamed man on Sunday for allegedly setting fire to a government buºilding, disturbing public order, and conspiring to commit crimes against national security.

In a statement, the IHRNGO said: “The international community must strongly warn the Islamic Republic of the consequences of executing protesters. Summoning their ambassadors and implementing stronger effective human rights action against state officials are amongst the consequences European countries must consider.”

The NGO estimates that at least 326 people, including 43 minors, have been killed by security forces since the beginning of the unrest. The deaths have been reported in 22 Iranian provinces, the majority in Sistan and Baluchestan, Tehran, Mazandaran, Gilan and Kurdistan.

The protests, led by young people and women under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom,” began in September after the death in police custody of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by the so-called morality police in Tehran for allegedly not wearing her headscarf properly.

IHRNGO was founded in 2005 by Iranian and non-Iranian human rights defenders to report on the death penalty in Iran. It was registered as an international organization based in Norway in 2009. EFE

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