‘Enemies of God’: Iran vows crackdown as protests boil over; death penalty warning issued

Iran sharply escalated its effect to nationwide protests, with the country’s lawyer wide informing that anyone taking portion successful demonstrations could beryllium treated arsenic an “enemy of God” — a complaint that carries the decease punishment nether Iranian law.The warning, issued by Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi Azad and broadcast connected authorities tv connected Saturday, came arsenic protests entered their 2nd week and intensified crossed large cities contempt a sweeping net blackout imposed by authorities.The connection carried by Iranian authorities tv said adjacent those who “helped rioters” would look the charge.

What does the instrumentality say?

Under Iranian law, Article 186 provides that if a radical oregon organisation engages successful equipped absorption to the Islamic Republic, each members oregon supporters who knowingly assistance its aims whitethorn beryllium deemed mohareb – “enemies of God” – adjacent if they instrumentality nary portion successful equipped activity, Human Rights Watch reported.Article 190 sets retired 4 imaginable punishments for *moharebeh* oregon “corruption connected earth”: execution, hanging, amputation of the close manus and near foot, oregon imperishable interior exile. Article 191 gives judges discretion to prime the penalty.

Protests proceed crossed Iran

Demonstrations erupted again connected Friday successful Tehran, Mashhad, Tabriz and the beatified metropolis of Qom, with footage verified by AFP showing crowds chanting slogans against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In Tehran’s Sa’adat Abad district, residents banged pots and honked car horns successful defiance, contradicting authorities media claims that calm had returned.The protests, the largest since the 2022–23 unrest sparked by the decease of Mahsa Amini successful custody, began connected December 28 implicit soaring surviving costs and the illness of the rial. They person since evolved into nonstop challenges to Iran’s clerical system.Human rights groups accidental the crackdown has been deadly. Norway-based Iran Human Rights reported astatine slightest 51 protesters killed, including 9 children, portion the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency enactment the toll astatine 65 dormant and much than 2,300 detained.

Amnesty International said the nationwide net shutdown was designed to “mask authorities violence” and fell sedate rights violations.Supreme Leader Khamenei, successful his archetypal comments since the unrest began, branded protesters “vandals” and “saboteurs” and accused the United States of fomenting unrest. He claimed US President Donald Trump’s hands were “stained with Iranian blood” and said the Islamic Republic would not retreat.Trump, meanwhile, warned Iran against sidesplitting peaceful protesters, saying the enactment appeared to beryllium “in large trouble” arsenic demonstrations spread. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington supported the “brave radical of Iran”.Iran’s judiciary main Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei warned punishments would beryllium “maximum” and without leniency, portion the Revolutionary Guards said protecting the Islamic Republic was a “red line”.