Islamic Republic authorities have detained tens of thousands of protesters during recent anti-government demonstrations that sparked after the killing of Mahsa Zhina Amini in police custody for having an “improper” hijab. Since September 16, Iranians across the country have been protesting against the government. Authorities have responded with a violent and deadly crackdown. Thousands have faced arbitrary detention and torture. There is a growing fear that authorities will sentence these individuals to vague crimes that put them in danger of execution. 

“Over the past six weeks, thousands of men, women and children – by some accounts over 14,000 persons – have been arrested, which includes human rights defenders, students, lawyers, journalists and civil society activists,” said Javaid Rehman, special rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran on November 2. In Iran, defendants are tried in trials that are systematically unfair and lack due process. Individuals are routinely denied access to an attorney and are forced to make torture-tainted “confessions.” The Islamic Republic has a long record of using harsh sentences, such as the death penalty, as a weapon of repression against protesters and dissidents. 

On Sunday, November 6, 227 of the 290 members of the Islamic Republic parliament called for “the execution of the protestors sentenced to war as soon as possible.” The statement refers to the protesters as mohareb, which means “enemy of God” under Islamic law. The legal charge of moharebe or “waging war against God,” carries the death penalty. Under Iran's Islamic Penal Code of 2013, the death penalty can apply to a wide range of offenses in violation of international human rights law.

Around 1,000 people in the Tehran province alone were charged for their alleged involvement in nationwide anti-government protests, state news agency IRNA reported Monday, October 31. Without due process or access to an attorney, several people have been charged with “corruption on Earth” and “waging war against God,” which carry the death penalty. In early October, Iran's chief justice, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, ordered judges to issue harsh sentences for the “main elements of riots.” 

Protesting and being able to voice one's opinion is a fundamental human right, and no one should be imprisoned or executed for it. 

We urge the United Nations, the European Union, and the International community to speak up against the death sentences and unfair trials of protesters. 

We urge the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish an independent investigative UN mechanism to investigate and ensure accountability for the most serious crimes under international law in Iran. More than one million people signed an Amnesty International petition urging the establishment of this mechanism. 

We also urge the Islamic Republic to immediately release all political prisoners and respect detainees' rights to due process.