Iran judiciary conducts first protest-related execution

Iran has announced the execution of a man convicted of a crime that stems from the ongoing protests. The announcement is another sign that Tehran plans to crack down on the months-long demonstrations against the government.

Iran’s judiciary news website announced that it has executed a man named Mohsen Shekari on Thursday. Shekari was convicted for “waging a war against God” for allegedly attacking a police officer with a knife and closing off a street in the capital Tehran. Shekari was arrested back on September 25, days after the protests erupted across the country.

Shekari received his death sentence on November 20, which was carried out this week after it was upheld by the Iranian Supreme Court. In alleged confessions published by the judiciary, Shekari was accompanied and given a “long knife” by an associate referred to as “Ali”, who offered him money to take part in the ongoing protests.

Shekari also allegedly helped close off a street in the neighborhood of Sattarkhan in central Tehran before injuring an officer with the knife. The charges that were also levied against Shekari were “creating terror and fear and depriving people of their freedom and security.”

Shekari’s execution follows comments by Iranian judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei earlier this week that the Supreme Court upheld the sentences given to those accused of “corruption on Earth” and “waging war against God” in relation to the ongoing demonstrations and are set to be carried out soon.

Protests erupted across the country, eventually spilling over overseas following the death of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini back in September. Amini died in the custody of the morality police days after she was arrested for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code on women. Women and students played a big role in the demonstrations that are the biggest show of opposition to the country’s clerical rulers since the 1979 Revolution.

The women of Iran were also named Time Magazine’s 2022 Heroes of the Year for leading the protests that continue despite attempts by security forces to crack down on the demonstrations. The tribute to the Iranian women written by Azadeh Moaveni noted the women’s roles in previous protests in Iran that have led to this moment.