Death Sentences of Three November Protesters Not Yet Confirmed by Iran’s Supreme Court
While some media outlets reported that the death sentences of three protesters from November unrest have been confirmed by Iran’s Supreme Court, the judiciary’s news agency denied this report. “Mizan” has also published photos of “the defendants’ lawyers in court.”
Mizan news agency, affiliated with Iran’s judiciary, denied reports that death sentences for three November protest defendants have been confirmed by the Supreme Court. The agency stated: “According to a statement by Gholam-Hossein Esmaili [judiciary spokesperson], the case regarding November protests that was sent to the Supreme Court has not yet been returned, and the Supreme Court’s ruling confirming the death sentence has not reached us.”
Earlier, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that after contacting one of the three defendants’ lawyers, they learned that their death sentences had been confirmed by the Supreme Court. This news was immediately denied by the Young Journalists Club, which is affiliated with state radio and television.
HRANA’s website subsequently contacted an informed source again and reported: “The informed source, who refused to disclose his name for security reasons, while reiterating the accuracy of the published news regarding the confirmation of these individuals’ sentences by the Supreme Court, said that this case has special circumstances, lawyers have been strongly warned against disclosure, and they now hope to effect a change in this ruling in the appeal phase by reducing sensitivities.”
The first-instance sentences against Amir-Hossein Moradi, Saeed Tamjidi, and Mohammad Rajabi, who were arrested in November, were issued four months ago by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court presided over by Abolqasem Salavati. The Revolutionary Court sentenced these three individuals to death, 38 years in prison, and 222 lashes on charges of “participation in destruction and arson with intent to oppose the system.”
Publication of Photos of “Case Lawyers”
Mizan news agency, publishing photos from the court hearing of three November protesters sentenced to death, wrote that “all three of these individuals had lawyers during their court proceedings.”
The agency, by publishing a handwritten letter and two interrogation documents, also stated that Maryam Moradi, a relative of Amir-Hossein Moradi—one of the three defendants—served as his lawyer, and the other two defendants used court-appointed lawyers due to financial inability.
This is while Babak Paknia, a lawyer, regularly posts updates about this case on his Twitter account as Amir-Hossein Moradi’s lawyer.
Previously, Emtedad website quoted him as saying: “While the cases had gone to court and were even being reviewed, incorrect information was being given to colleagues saying these cases were not registered at all. But I was told the case was registered but they cannot provide it to me.”
Babak Paknia wrote on Twitter on the fourth of Tir that as Amir-Hossein Moradi’s lawyer, he cannot deny or confirm the report of the death sentence confirmation by the Supreme Court.
The issuance of death sentences for these three protesters has prompted widespread criticism and protests. From the U.S. State Department spokesperson to Shirin Ebadi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, have protested these sentences and deemed them unjust.
Amir-Hossein Moradi and Mohammad Rajabi are both 25 years old and high school graduates. Saeed Tamjidi is 27 years old and an electrical engineering student.
Source: DW
