Iranian authorities said Tuesday that five people have been sentenced to death for their involvement in the death of a security officer in protests that have been taking place in the country for several months.
The spokesman for the Justice Department, Masoud Setayeshi, said that for the same crime eleven other people, including three minors, have been sentenced to «long terms» of imprisonment, according to ISNA news agency.
Setayeshi detailed that the death of the officer, Seyed Ruhollah Ajamian, took place on November 21 after the defendants attacked him «with knives» and beat him while he was on the ground. The convictions can still be appealed to the Supreme Court, he said.
Since the beginning of the protests, Setayeshi has assured that 1,200 demonstrators have already been released, while «several» foreign nationals have been arrested and charged with the crimes of «conspiracy to commit a crime».
During his appearance, the Justice spokesman accused the United States of taking advantage of the celebrations for the matches of the Iranian national team in the World Cup in Qatar to «launch numerous coups and riots to put an end to democracy, spy and kill innocent people».
Meanwhile, protests continue in Iran. In mid-September this new wave of demonstrations against the Iranian government began in response to the death in police custody of a young woman of Kurdish origin, Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly wearing the veil incorrectly.
Since then, according to local and international human rights organizations, some 470 people have died as a result of repression by state security forces, while 18,000 others have been arrested.
