Iran: Author sentenced to death amid renewed nationwide protests | CPT PPP Coverage

The anti-regime protests in Iran, initially flamed in the Kurdish regions and later spread across the nation, have crossed more than a 100 days. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, these have been the longest-running protests the country has witnessed. Even though the events have stunned the administration, it has brought huge loss to human life in Iran. 

People across societies are participating in the unique protests, and women are leading the way under the slogan, ‘Women, Life, Freedom’. But, according to the Human Rights Activists’ news agency (HRANA), more than 500 protesters, including 69 children, have been killed and two executed. 

People have taken immutable steps leading to their arrest, exile, and even death sentences.

The recent death sentence of Iranian author and illustrator, Mehdi Bahman, has gripped the nation in fear. Bahman’s death sentence followed his interview with an Israeli television channel. Authorities arrested him soon after the interview in which he had criticised the regime in Tehran, imposition of Islamic law, and called for peace between Israel and Iran. Apart from Bahman, Iran has already awarded death sentence to 11 protesters and has detained more than a hundred amid the protests.

In his works, Bahman talks about religious co-existence. He has worked with Shia cleric Masoumi Tehrani for years to create artworks from various religions. Shortly after Bahman, Iran administration also arrested Tehrani.

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While the Iran administration blames Iran International, a Persian language news channel, for sparking nationwide protests, the media outlet has denied all allegations. Iran International identifies itself as ‘an independent news portal with no political affiliation’.

The 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish Mahsa Amini’s death during custody in September flared protests across Iran. She was in detention for breaching the strict dress code for Iranian women. 

Majidreza Rahnavard, 23, was sentenced by a court in Mashhad for using a knife to murder two members of the security forces. On December 12, the Iran government publicly executed him from a crane. Many people have tried to kill themselves after suffering gruesome torture in detention. 

However, despite the horror that currently grips Iran, the protesters continue their fight against the government.

(With inputs from agencies)

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