Death Sentences Issued for Akbatan Protesters in a Trial Shrouded in Ambiguity

Death sentences have been issued for the defendants in the “Akbatan neighborhood” case at a time when lawyers report verbal notification, lack of judicial transparency, and deprivation of access to the text of the ruling; a process that human rights activists consider part of the Islamic Republic’s policy of intimidation and suppression following the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests.

The Islamic Republic has once again, by resorting to death sentences, launched a new wave of political intimidation against protesters and civil society; this time in the controversial “Akbatan neighborhood” case, which from the beginning has been accompanied by security ambiguities, disputed confessions, and a non-transparent process.

According to published reports, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge “Abolqasem Solwati,” has sentenced four defendants in the Akbatan case named “Milad Armoon,” “Navid Najaran,” “Mehdi Imani,” and “Seyyed Mohammad-Mehdi Hosseini” to death on charges of “corruption on earth.” International media outlets and human rights organizations have described this case as one of the symbols of the Islamic Republic’s security handling of the nationwide protests of 1401.

While the Islamic Republic’s judicial system claims to have “legally reviewed” this case, the defendants’ lawyers say they have been deprived even of viewing the official text of the ruling and the court’s decision has been communicated verbally to the defendants; an action that legal experts consider unprecedented and contrary to principles of due process.

“Mohammad-Hossein Aghassi,” lawyer for Milad Armoon, told the “Emtedad” media outlet: “We don’t know what the issued ruling contains, what the judge’s legal grounds are, and basically we have neither seen the ruling nor were present at the session when the ruling was communicated to our clients.”

He also emphasized that the initial charge of “armed rebellion” had previously been dropped from the case, but the court suddenly issued a death sentence under the title of “corruption on earth.”

The Akbatan case relates to the killing of “Arman Aliverdi,” a member of the Basij, during the autumn 1401 protests; however, even according to reports from government-affiliated media, the coroner’s office and judicial process have been unable to determine exactly who inflicted the fatal blow. Nevertheless, the Revolutionary Court, apart from the criminal proceedings, has sentenced the defendants to death in the framework of security cases.

Human rights activists say that in recent years, the Islamic Republic has used ambiguous concepts such as “corruption on earth” and “armed rebellion” as political tools to eliminate opponents and create fear in society; accusations that are raised in many political cases without presenting clear evidence or independent judicial proceedings.

Reports published by human rights organizations indicate that some defendants in the Akbatan case were subjected to severe security pressure and prolonged solitary confinement during detention. In one of these reports, it states that interrogators asked the defendants to repeat pre-written texts in front of a camera.

Human rights organizations have also warned that the sudden increase in issuing and executing death sentences in Iran is part of the government’s policy to contain social discontent and prevent the resurgence of widespread protests. In recent months, international media outlets have reported on the intensification of executing protesters, restrictions on access to lawyers, and the holding of expedited trials in Iran.

Critics say that what is currently happening in Iran’s Revolutionary Courts is more than “judicial review”; it is a form of security case-building and extrajudicial sentencing to create fear in society; a process that not only has called justice into question but has also turned the Islamic Republic’s judicial system into more than ever an instrument in service of political suppression.