Iranian election protesters threatenend with death penalty

AFP

The Islamic Republic is trying to put an end to the post-election protests by threatening protesters with the death penalty.

Interior Minister, Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, announced that after the Ashura Day events, people who participate in any protests will be considered “moharebs acting against the national security.”

According to Islamic Republic judicial laws, the punishment for “moharebs” is death. Mohareb is one that is involved in armed combat against the State.

In conjunction to this labeling of election protesters, it was announced yesterday that 36 conservative members of the parliament have introduced a bill to decrease the waiting period for execution sentences issued for “moharebs” from 20 days to five days.

Although some of the Members of Parliament are opposed to the bill, it remains to be seen if the heat of the country’s crisis will lead lawmakers to approve the bill.

The election protests in Iran which started over the alleged fraud in the June presidential elections that secured the return of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to office for another term, has become more and more critical of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, who has refused to address people’s demands.

On Ashura Day, at least eight people were killed as the security forces along with pro-government forces in plain clothes have become progressively more and more violent in their confrontation with protesters.