“Troublemakers” and those responsible for the deaths of security forces would be identified and “decisively prosecuted,” Raisi said, as the daily “Shargh” wrote on Friday. Critics of the political leadership also see the words as a defense of the death sentence against a protester that was carried out in Tehran on Thursday.
The execution of Mohsen Shekari caused horror and sharp reactions in the country and internationally. It was the first known execution since mid-September in connection with the protests, in which protesters demanded, among other things, the end of the Islamic Republic and the lifting of the headscarf. Iran’s foreign ministry rejected international criticism of the execution, calling it “hypocritical education”.
The nationwide protests were prompted by the death of Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini. She died in police custody on September 16 after being arrested by vice squad for violating Islamic dress code. More than 18,000 demonstrators were arrested during the protests, according to human rights activists. (SDA)