An Iranian revolutionary court has issued a death sentence to a man accused of “enmity against God” over alleged involvement in January’s nationwide protest against the Khamenei regime, according to Reuters. This marks the first known death sentence linked to the anti-government protests.
The man, identified as Mohammad Abbasi, was convicted in connection with the killing of a police colonel during clashes in the town of Malard, west of Tehran, Iran-based media outlets reported. Iran’s judiciary had not publicly confirmed the ruling as of Tuesday.
Iran International reported, citing a lawyer involved in the case, that Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced Abbasi to death, while his daughter, Fatemeh Abbasi, received a 25-year prison sentence for alleged participation in the same events.
Defence lawyer Ali Sharifzadeh Ardekani said the case had been referred to Branch 39 of Iran’s Supreme Court following an appeal. He said the court refused to recognise the family’s chosen legal team during the review stage on procedural grounds and indicated a final ruling was imminent.
Human rights advocates say such cases often proceed through Iran’s revolutionary courts under national security charges, including “enmity against God” (moharebeh), which can carry capital punishment.
DEADLY CRACKDOWN AFTER NATIONWIDE PROTESTS
The sentence comes after months of unrest that erupted across Iran in January, when demonstrations over political repression and economic hardship spread to multiple cities. Security forces moved to suppress the protests.
Human rights groups reported more than 5,000 people were killed and over 40,000 arrested during the unrest. Mass arrests followed, with detainees facing charges ranging from public disorder to national security offences.
Amid fears of executions tied to the unrest, attention also turned to the case of Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old activist arrested on 8 January in the city of Fardis, west of Tehran. He was reportedly sentenced to death over alleged involvement in anti-government demonstrations. Iranian authorities later denied he faced capital punishment, saying the charges against him carried prison terms only. Soltani has since been released on bail.
The capital punishment in protest-related cases has drawn warnings from the United States. During the January unrest, President Donald Trump cautioned Tehran that Washington could respond “forcefully” if executions of detained protesters were carried out. White House said “grave consequences” could follow continued killings or death sentences linked to the crackdown. Trump later said he had received assurances from Iran that executions would not proceed and that protester deaths had halted, saying 800 executions of protesters had been halted under pressure.
With inputs from agencies
