Iran sentences person to death for 'disturbing public order' amid protests

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN (AA) - Iran's judiciary on Sunday issued preliminary sentences to some of those arrested over recent protests in the country, with one of them receiving the death sentence.

A person who had "set fire to a government building" was sentenced to death on charges of "disturbing public order and peace, assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security, war and corruption in the land," said Mizan News Agency, affiliated with Iran's judiciary.

Five other defendants were given sentences ranging between five and 10 years on charges of "assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security and disruption of public order and peace."

The statement hastened to add that the sentences are preliminary and could be challenged in the appeals court.

It comes days after Iran's judiciary chief Mohseni Ejei called for expediting the cases related to recent protests that were triggered by the death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman in police custody.

He said the protests were part of the "enemy's hybrid warfare," indicting the US, the UK and Israel for "instigating rioters."

Protests over Mahsa Amini's death following her detention by morality police for wearing "inappropriate dress" erupted first in her native Kurdistan province in mid-September before spreading to other parts of the country, including the capital Tehran.

The government has not released the official death toll in protests, but independent watchdogs have put the figure at more than 250, including civilians and policemen.

The US and European countries have in recent weeks imposed a slew of sanctions on Iranian officials and entities over what they call "brutal crackdown on protests," while Iranian authorities have accused them of "stoking unrest" in the country.

More than a thousand people have been arrested in the past two months for taking part in the countrywide protests, including university students, journalists and activists.

Javaid Rehman, the special UN rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, last week said as many as 14,000 people had been arrested since September.

Last week, in a joint statement, 227 Iranian lawmakers called on the judiciary to "decisively deal" with those arrested for involvement in recent violent protests.

The details about the preliminary verdicts announced on Sunday will be made public after the appeals court confirms them, the judiciary said in its statement.