Iran Executes First Protester Since Beginning of Unrest—Report

Iran has executed a man sentenced to death for taking part in the mass demonstrations that have spread across the country, according to state media.

The Mizan news agency, which is run by Iran's judiciary, reported on Thursday that Mohsen Shekari—who had been charged with moharebeh, or"waging war against God," for closing a street and injuring an officer with a knife during protests—was hanged early that morning.

Shekari had been arrested on September 25 and was convicted by Tehran's Revolutionary Court, Mizan wrote. Activists and experts say the charge of moharebeh, which carries the death penalty, has been used by the authorities to quell protests since 2019.

The non-profit Iran Human Rights tweeted about the execution on Thursday, writing that Shekari was sentenced to death in "show trials without any due process" and calling for action against the government in Tehran.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the organization's director, added in a follow-up Twitter post: "Execution of #MohsenShekari must be met with strong reactions otherwise we will be facing daily executions of protesters. This execution must have rapid practical consequences internationally."

BBC reporter Kian Sharifi wrote on Twitter that Shekari was "the first protester to be hanged since the start of the unrest in September."

Sharifi added that the protester had received the death penalty for blocking a street and wounding a member of the Basij—an Iranian militia run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—with a bladed weapon.

Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad shared a picture of Shekari on Twitter, saying the protester was only 23 years old.

Mass protests exploded across Iran following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who had been arrested by the morality police on charges of wearing her hijab improperly.

Despite a brutal crackdown, the anti-government demonstrations have continued since her death on September 16. The monitoring group Human Rights Activists in Iran estimates that at least 475 protesters have been killed. Thousands more are believed to have been arrested.

Amnesty International has warned that at least 28 people, including three children, risk execution for taking part in the protests "as the Iranian authorities use the death penalty as a tool of political repression to instil fear among the public and end the popular uprising."

The human rights group has repeatedly condemned the "sham trials" held by the Iranian authorities and called for the government to "immediately quash all convictions and death sentences."

In a report published on December 2, Amnesty said it feared that "in addition to the 28 people identified, many others are at risk of execution, given the thousands of indictments issued."

Newsweek has contacted Amnesty International and Iran Human Rights for comment.