Iranian cleric jailed in protests handed two death sentences, rights group reports

What happened

The US-based rights group HRANA reported that an Iranian cleric, identified only as Mehdi, formerly linked to the Revolutionary Guards, was sentenced to death twice in separate trials. These sentences followed his arrest during the nationwide January protests. Alongside Mehdi, protesters Amirreza Rezaei and Vahid Ghahremani were also sentenced to death by Branch 23 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court on accusations including allegedly acting on behalf of Israel. The trio were informed of their sentences in prison on Monday, according to HRANA.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. In addition to the Revolutionary Court ruling, Mehdi received a second death sentence from Iran's Special Clerical Court on charges of apostasy. Details on the apostasy case or Mehdi’s prior IRGC service were not provided by HRANA. All three were arrested independently by security forces during the protests and moved from Greater Tehran Prison to Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj on Wednesday.

The sentences come amid a backdrop of increased executions and prosecutions during the protests, according to warnings from the UN. UN Special Rapporteur Mai Sato told the General Assembly that at least 34 people have been executed linked to the protests, citing rapid mass trials and concerns over forced confessions and due process violations. Sato characterised the crackdown as intensified repression facilitated by the ongoing war with the US and Israel, with authorities labeling protesters as foreign agents and treating peaceful dissent as a security threat.

Known from the source

• An Iranian cleric named Mehdi, formerly linked to the Revolutionary Guards, was sentenced to death twice in separate cases.
• Mehdi and two other protesters, Amirreza Rezaei and Vahid Ghahremani, were sentenced to death by Branch 23 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court on charges including allegedly acting on behalf of Israel.
• Mehdi received a second death sentence from Iran's Special Clerical Court on apostasy charges.
• All three were arrested during January's nationwide protests and were transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.
• UN Special Rapporteur Mai Sato reported at least 34 executions linked to the protests, highlighting mass trials and due process concerns.

What remains unclear

The protests initially began in late December with merchant strikes in Tehran and quickly spread across Iran. Iran International previously reported a death toll during the crackdown of at least 36,500, with tens of thousands arrested or summoned. This harsh response reflects the regime’s heightened sensitivity to internal unrest during a fraught regional and international security environment.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verification of Mehdi’s full identity and prior Revolutionary Guards service. Independent confirmation of the charges and trials leading to each death sentence. Corroboration of the allegation that the accused operated on behalf of Israel.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: Iran International. Open the source.