According to the BBC, Iranian state media reported that a man was executed after the Revolutionary Court found him guilty of “moharebeh” (enmity against God).
CNN called the execution of Mohsen Shekari the “first known execution linked to protests that have swept the country since September.”
The Associated Press reported that the Mizan News Agency, which the Iranian judiciary runs, said that “Shekari was accused of blocking a street in Tehran and attacking with a machete a member of the security forces, who required stitches for his wounds.” He was arrested on Sept. 25 and convicted on Nov. 20. The charge “moharbeh” carries the death penalty. His lawyer appealed, but the appeal failed.
According to The New York Times, Shekari was 23 years old at the time of his death.
The Guardian reported that “as many as 21 people have been charged with sentences that are likely to carry the death penalty.” Shekari’s family said they were still waiting for a call to see what happened to Shekari’s body.
According to The Guardian, the human rights group Amnesty International said: “The Iranian authorities must immediately quash all death sentences, refrain from seeking the imposition of the death penalty and drop all charges against those arrested in connection with their peaceful participation in protests.”
Why are there protests in Iran?
The Deseret News previously reported Mahsa Amini was arrested for an alleged violation of the rules that require women to cover their hair with a hijab, according to the BBC. She died three days later. Some reports say that her head was beaten and images circulated of her in a coma.
In solidarity, women took off their hijabs in public and since then, they have led protests joined by men and children. The demands range from increased freedom to overthrowing the state.