For almost three months, countless people in Iran have been demonstrating against the country's government. At least 18,000 people have been arrested and two death sentences have already been carried out. The Iranian judiciary has now sentenced more than 400 demonstrators - some of them must be imprisoned for up to ten years.
In connection with the protests in Iran, 400 demonstrators have been sentenced to several years in prison in the capital Tehran alone. This was announced by a spokesman for the Tehran judicial authority, as reported by the Isna news agency. The length of the prison sentences is therefore between two and ten years. 70 other demonstrators were also sentenced to heavy fines. Observers assume that demonstrators arrested in other Iranian cities can expect similar prison sentences.
According to human rights activists, at least 18,000 participants in the system-critical demonstrations that have been going on for almost three months have been arrested so far. It is unclear how many of them have been charged so far. The authorities usually accuse them of taking part in illegal demonstrations, causing unrest or endangering national security. More than 475 protesters are said to have been killed in the protests.
In November, demonstrators were sentenced to death for the first time. The second protester was executed on Monday, causing horror and outrage at home and abroad. Accused of "waging war against God," Majid-Reza R. was publicly hanged in the northeastern city of Mashad, state Irna news agency reported.
The man is said to have murdered two members of the notorious paramilitary Basij militia with a knife during the November protests. The court had accused him of "waging war against God" and sentenced him to death in accordance with Islamic legal opinion. According to media reports, at least 23 other demonstrators are on the Iranian judiciary's death list.
