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Iran court sentences one to death, eight to prison for role in December protests

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] An Iranian court sentenced one person to death and eight others to prison on Tuesday for their involvement in protests last December. The men were arrested for participating in protests that interrupted the Shia Muslim celebration of Ashura. The unidentified man sentenced to death becomes the twelfth person to receive capital punishment for involvement in protests last year in Iran. Among the eight men that received prison sentences was Behzad Nabavi, a well-known activist and former Minister of Industry and Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament. Nabavi received a sentence of five years imprisonment. The government charged the individuals with being enemies of god for violating community security, propaganda, attacking police, and arson. The Iranian government continues to charge citizens in connection with the December protests, as well as the those that followed the June presidential election. Last week, former deputy foreign minister Mohsen Aminzadeh was sentenced to six years in prison for his participation in post-election protests. Earlier this month, a report indicated that Iran will soon execute nine people for their roles in the post-election protests. Two others were executed in January. Last month, Iran's Prosecutor-General Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei called for sedition trials against leaders of protests following the presidential election.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on February 10, 2010 (boomark / email).