#1 Iran 'sentences three protesters to death'
Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 3:27 pm
BBC
What a damn sorry perversion of Justice.Three people detained after June's disputed presidential election have been sentenced to death, Iran's Isna news agency reports.
The judgements are preliminary and must be confirmed by a higher court, Isna says. Full names have not been given.
So far the only named opposition activist reported as having been sentenced to death over post-election protests is Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani.
The unrest was triggered by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election.
On Saturday Isna quoted Zahed Bashiri Rad, a justice ministry official, as saying: "Three people who were accused (for their role) in the post-election incidents have been sentenced to death."
Referring to the three using only initials, Mr Rad said "MZ" and "AP" had been convicted for ties with the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, a banned monarchist group, and "NA" for links with the People's Mujahideen, another group advocating the overthrow of the Islamic republic.
On Thursday, an Iranian reformist website reported that Mr Zamani, 37, had been sentenced to death. It is unclear whether he is the "MZ" mentioned by Isna.
The London-based human-rights group Amnesty International has condemned the reported death sentence on Mr Zamani, and called his trial a "mockery of justice".
Mr Ahmadinejad's 12 June re-election was followed by massive street protests over alleged vote-rigging. At least 30 protesters were killed in clashes and thousands were arrested.
Most of those detained have been released, but about 200 remain behind bars and some 110 have been put on trial.