Iran Will Hold Public Trials for 1,000 Protesters This Week

Iran will hold public trials in Tehran this week for 1,000 people arrested in the ongoing protests against the regime, according to official state news agencies. The trials will be for those who have played a central role in the protests, who are charged with “subversive actions,” including attacking or killing security guards and setting fire to public property. The chief of the judiciary announced that some of the protesters would be charged with collaborating with foreign governments, which is a crime punishable by death in Iran. He also vowed that the cases of the protesters would be dealt with “with accuracy and speed.” The protests, now in their seventh week, were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish Iranian woman who died in the custody of Iran’s morality police while being held for wearing her hijab incorrectly.  Over the weekend, the head of the Revolutionary Guard warned Iranians against continuing their protests, obliquely threatening to crack down on the demonstrations. More than 270 protesters have been killed and about 14,000 arrested in protests in 129 towns and cities and some 115 universities, Reuters reported, citing the activist HRANA news agency.