At least 70 Iranian protesters have been accused of “waging war against God” and “corruption on Earth,” charges that carry a death sentence, human rights activists say. According to the Committee to Follow-Up on the Situation of Detainees, 64 people are facing the charge of “waging war against God” and nine others are accused of “corruption on Earth.” The women-led protest movement that has rocked Iran for more than three months was triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police.
The demonstrations rapidly escalated into calls for an end to more than 40 years of clerical rule. The security forces responded to the demonstrations with brutal force, killing nearly 500 people and detaining more than 18,000, human rights activists say. According to information gathered by IranWire, at least 28 people involved in the demonstrations have been handed capital punishment. Iran carried out the first execution on December 8, followed by a second one four days later, triggering international condemnation.