UN experts urge Iran to stop indicting protesters with serious charges

GENEVA (AA) – UN experts have urged Iranian authorities to stop indicting people with charges liable to major punishments for participation in peaceful demonstrations.

Eight people were charged on October 29 by the Revolutionary Court in Tehran province with crimes like “waging war against God” and “corruption on earth,” the experts said in a statement.

On November 6, 227 members of parliament called on the judiciary to act decisively against people arrested during the protests and to carry out punishments.

Since nationwide protests in November 2019, the imposition of the death penalty has been widely used against individuals for participating in protests under murder charges or national security charges.

In 2020, at least two individuals were executed following their participation in protests.

On October 31, the Tehran prosecutor announced that some 1,000 indictments had been issued in connection with recent “riots” in Tehran province alone.

The prosecutor said trials were scheduled in the Revolutionary Court for cases against several individuals.

Public trials would take place “in the coming days,” the prosecutor said.

The UN experts said: “With the continuous repression of protests, many more indictments on charges carrying the death penalty and death sentences might soon be issued.”

Thousands of protesters have been arrested since September 16, including many women, youth, lawyers, human rights defenders, and activists, the statement said, adding that at least 51 of them were journalists.

Fourteen were reportedly released on bail, while 37 remain detained. Many of the arrested individuals remain in incommunicado detention, it added.

“The crackdown on peaceful demonstrations has continued unabated, and the death toll has risen to at least 304 people killed, including 24 women and 41 children. Baluchi and Kurdish minorities have continued to be disproportionately affected by the repression,” the experts said.