Iran Executes Man for Revolutionary Guard’s Death in 2017 Protests

Iranian authorities say they have executed Mostafa Salehi for the fatal shooting of Sajjad Shah-Sanai, a member of the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The shooting came during anti-government protests that began in late December 2017 over the government’s economic policies, although the unrest quickly spread both geographically and in terms of grievances, and were seen by many as a call not only for a change of government, but an end to theocratic rule before being quelled by security forces with thousands of arrests. The authorities had appeared to back down on their plan to carry out the death sentences imposed on Salehi and at least three others involved in the protests following a widespread Twitter campaign under the hashtag “Don’t execute,” but Wednesday’s execution followed intervention by the victim’s family, according to the semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA, citing a statement issued by local justice officials. Under Iran’s system of Islamic law, a dead victim’s family has a say in carrying out death sentences and other severe legal penalties against the person convicted of the crime.