Iran plans public trials for 1,000 protesters in Tehran, Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi arrested
The mass indictments mark the government's first major legal action aimed at quashing dissent. (AP Photo: Richard Vogel)
Iranian authorities have announced they will hold public trials for 1,000 people in the capital, Tehran, over the protests that have engulfed the country.
Key points:
- Tehran officials have repeated unsupported claims that Iran's foreign enemies have fomented the unrest
- At least 270 people have been killed and 1,4000 arrested, according to activists
- An Iranian official said prosecutors sought to differentiate between angry Iranians and those who wanted to take down the theocracy
The mass prosecutions mark the government's first major legal action aimed at quashing dissent since unrest erupted more than six weeks ago.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted judicial officials as saying 1,000 people who had a central role in the protests would be brought to trial in Tehran alone over their "subversive actions", including assaulting security guards, setting fire to public property and other alleged crimes.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing Tehran's chief justice, said the trials would take place in a Revolutionary Court.
The trials were scheduled for this week and would be held in public, it said.
The nationwide protests first erupted over the September 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the country's morality police.
She was detained for allegedly violating Iran's strict dress code for women.
Loading...Although the protests first focused on Iran's mandatory headscarf, or hijab, they have since transformed into one of the greatest challenges to the ruling clerics since the chaotic years following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
"Those who intend to confront and subvert the regime are dependent on foreigners and will be punished according to legal standards," Iran judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei said, indicating some protesters would be charged with collaborating with foreign governments.
Tehran officials have repeated unsupported claims that Iran's foreign enemies have fomented the unrest.
"Without a doubt, our judges will deal with the cases of the recent riots with accuracy and speed," he said.
Iranian rapper arrested
Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, who is known for his anti-government protest songs, has been arrested by security forces, according to state media and activists.
Fars news agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, reported his arrest on Sunday, describing him as one of "the leaders of the riots who promoted violence" on social media.
Mr Salehi has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, where his lyrics often openly criticise the Iranian government.
Fans and supporters calling for his release have posted his music and statements across social platforms with the hashtag #FreeToomaj in English and Farsi.
Earlier in the year, he was summoned by a Revolutionary Court in the central province of Esfahan.
He was previously arrested in September 2021 "spreading propaganda against the state", according to Iran Human Rights Monitor. He was released on bail eight days later, pending a trial.
Demonstrations continue despite crackdowns
Live ammunition and tear gas have been used to disperse protesters. (AP)
Security forces have dispersed gatherings with live ammunition and tear gas over the weeks of sustained protests.
At least 270 people have been killed and 14,000 arrested, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran.
Demonstrations have continued — even as the feared paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has warned young Iranians to stop.
Mr Ejei said prosecutors sought to differentiate between angry Iranians who merely sought to vent their grievances on the streets and those who wanted to take down the theocracy.
"Even among the agitators, it should be clarified who had the attention of confronting the system and overthrowing it," he said.
Judicial authorities have announced charges against hundreds of people in other Iranian provinces.
Some have been accused of "corruption on Earth" and "war against God" — offences that carry the death penalty.
AP/Reuters