US 'deeply concerned' over escalating protest crackdown in Iran

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US demanded accountability on Monday for what it said was an escalating effort by Iranian authorities to clamp down on months-long nationwide protests.

Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden's national security advisor, said the administration is "deeply concerned" by Iran's "mass arrests, sham trials," and the first death sentence handed down to a person arrested amid ongoing civil unrest.

"The eyes of the world are on Iran. The human rights abuses inflicted by its government must not go without consequence," Sullivan said in a statement. "The hundreds of protestors already killed at the hands of Iranian state authorities deserve justice. The torture and mistreatment of political prisoners like Mr. Ronaghi must cease."

Sullivan was referring to Hossein Ronaghi, a hunger-striking dissident who was arrested in September and transferred to a hospital on Sunday, according to his brother.

Iran has been rocked by deadly protests since mid-September after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the country's morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code.

Amini died in police custody with the government blaming her death on a health condition, an explanation that has been roundly rejected by her family and demonstrators.

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.

Iran's judiciary on Sunday issued preliminary sentences to a half-dozen individuals 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, which is 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 Iranian government has not released an official death toll for the ongoing protests, but independent watchdogs have put the figure at more than 250, including civilians and security forces.

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.