Javad Ruhi, an Iranian protester detained by state safety forces final month, has been handed three loss of life sentences by a courtroom on fees his public defender says had been laid with out proof.
In line with the courtroom’s indictment obtained by RFERL’s Radio Farda, Soleiman Vatandoust, the general public defender of Javad Ruhi, informed the courtroom {that a} assessment of the video from the scene solely proves Ruhi’s presence on the protests, however that “there is no such thing as a proof concerning the accusations, together with corruption on Earth.”
Ruhi, 35, was arrested within the northern Iranian metropolis of Nowshahr on December 11 for collaborating in ongoing nationwide protests sparked by the loss of life of a younger girl, Mahsa Amini, whereas in police custody in September.
Final week, the Mazandaran Province Judicial Division’s communications arm mentioned Ruhi was accused of three crimes: apostasy and insulting the Koran, burning and destroying public property, and inciting residents to create insecurity and collusion to commit against the law in opposition to the safety of the nation.
Nevertheless, the general public defender mentioned Ruhi didn’t take part within the burning of public property, there is no such thing as a proof he incites residents to create insecurity, and the cost of insulting the Koran can also be not appropriate.
Nonetheless, the courtroom handed Ruhi a loss of life sentence for every of the fees.
“The shopper had elementary and essential objections to the preliminary investigations, which actually within the coming days can be mirrored in his attraction to the Supreme Court docket,” Majid Kaveh, Ruhi’s court-appointed lawyer, who was allowed to satisfy his shopper solely after the loss of life sentences had been issued, mentioned on Twitter.
Mehdi (Shayan) Mohammadifar, who was additionally accused within the case, was handed two loss of life sentences for “corruption on Earth,” and “inciting residents to create insecurity and collusion to commit against the law in opposition to the safety of the nation.”
Iranians have flooded streets throughout the nation in protest since Amini’s loss of life, with girls and schoolgirls placing up unprecedented reveals of defiance in what seems to be the largest risk to the Islamic authorities because the 1979 revolution.
A brutal authorities crackdown on public demonstrators and dissent has seen a number of thousand folks arrested, together with journalists, legal professionals, activists, digital rights defenders, and others voicing opposition to the federal government.
Some lawmakers have demanded a harsh response to the unrest, saying heavy penalties, together with loss of life sentences, are warranted for protesters.
4 convicted protesters have already been executed, whereas two others, Mohammad Ghobadlou and Mohammad Broghani, had their sentences upheld by the nation’s Supreme Court docket and stay in jail on loss of life row.
The regime has blamed Western governments for the unrest.
Human rights teams say the crackdown has left practically 500 folks useless and lots of extra injured, along with the arrests.
