Iranian authorities sentenced five people to death for allegedly killing an officer affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, state media said. Eleven others received prison sentences.
The 13 men and three minors had been charged with killing Ruhollah Ajamian, an official from the Basij, a paramilitary volunteer branch of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard, according to the report from IRNA, Iran’s state news agency.
The five sentenced to death Monday were charged by Iran's Revolutionary Court, along with eight others.
The sentencings come amid months of anti-government demonstrations in Iran. The protests, now entering their third month, were sparked by the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code.
