Iran court issues first death sentence in protest-linked cases
Al JazeeraNov 27, 2022
The Facts
Iran's Revolutionary Court has issued its first known death sentence for participation in nationwide protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Sunday's ruling found an unidentified defendant guilty of setting a government building on fire, and sentenced them for "disturbing public order and comfort, community and colluding to commit a crime against national security."
Iran's judiciary's website also reported that the accused had been sentenced for "waging war against God and corruption on earth," violating one of Iran's most serious laws.
The Spin
Pro-Iran narrative
These sentences demonstrate that the judiciary is responding to calls from elected officials to end the ongoing insecurity and instability in Iran for reasons of public safety. It's clear that the US is implicated in these protests and the Iranian people are paying the price. Such a forceful response to violent, illegal acts will help secure the situation.
Anti-Iran narrative
Iran is one of the world's leading executioners — it's cementing that reputation with the news that civilians will be sentenced to death for demonstrating against its regime. Authoritarian clerics are threatened by continued protests against the existing patriarchal system and, by resorting to capital punishment, they've shown their fear of the genuine threat the unrest poses to the current draconian system.
