TEHRAN: Three Iranian teenagers are among 15 people who could face the death penalty for the murder of a member of a pro-government paramilitary force, the judiciary said on Wednesday.
Iran has been rocked by street violence since the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian of Kurdish origin, following her arrest in Tehran for allegedly violating the country’s dress code for women.
The judiciary’s Mizan Online website reported that a group of 15 people were charged with “corruption on earth” over the death of Ruhollah Ajamian, a member of the Basij paramilitary force.
Prosecutors allege that Ajamian, 27, was decapitated on November 3 by a group of mourners in Karaj, a city west of Tehran, who were paying tribute to a slain protester.
Initially, on 12 November, Mizan Online announced charges for 11 people, including a woman, over Ajamian’s murder.
But on Wednesday, as the trial began, it said the 15 defendants in the case had been accused of “corruption on earth” – a Sharia-related charge that is a capital offense in the Islamic republic.
The website said “three of the accused are 17 years old” and their cases will be dealt with by juvenile court.
An Iranian general said on Monday that more than 300 people have been killed in the unrest, including dozens of security force members, and thousands have been arrested, some 40 of whom are foreigners.
According to officials, more than 2,000 people have been charged with crimes.
At least six people have so far been sentenced to death, their fate now depends on the Supreme Court which rules on appeals.