by Niamh Harris, The Peoples Voice:
Iran’s prosecutor general has warned protesters that they will be charged as “enemies of god” and could face the death penalty.
As the protests continue across all 31 provinces in Iran, officials have imposed a communications blackout, and state media is blaming the unrest on “terrorist agents” from the US and Israel.
The number of those killed in the protests has risen from 62 to 65, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
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On Saturday, the country’s prosecutor-general Mohammad Movahedi Azad threatened protesters that they would face charges of moharebeh, and be tried as “enemies of god”. The punishments for Moharebeh are severe and include execution, hanging, amputation of the right hand and left foot, or permanent internal exile.
MSN reports: The prosecutor-general added that the charge would apply to “rioters and terrorists” who damaged property and undermined security, and those who helped them. He then said that prosecutors should swiftly prepare trials and not show any “leniency, compassion, or indulgence”.
Tehran prosecutor Ali Salehi made the same threat to protesters on Friday, after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused protesters of acting on behalf of US President Donald Trump.
State news agency: 100 arrested in Baharestan
It comes as the semi-official news agency Tasnim reports that 100 people have been arrested in a county in Tehran Province.
The local governor told the agency, which is associated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, that the detainees allegedly “disrupted public order” and “used firearms and cold weapons against the people and security and law enforcement forces” in the county of Baharestan.
In the language of Iran’s supreme leader, the anti-government protesters are referred to as “vandals and rioters”.
Protests in Iran began on 28 December over a sharp slide in the value of the rial currency, and have since transformed into the most significant challenge to the regime for several years.
Protester climbs on London embassy balcony
Meanwhile, protests in support of Iranian demonstrators have been held outside the country’s embassy in London, as well as across Europe.
Social media footage showed that a protester had climbed onto the balcony and removed an Iranian flag, replacing it with the former imperial flag.
The Metropolitan Police said it was aware of the incident and added: “Officers are on site and additional officers are being deployed to prevent any disorder.”
The pre-Islamic revolution lion and sun flag is often used by opposition groups in Iran, and was seen in footage of demonstrations in London.
In a joint statement with France and Germany’s leaders on Friday, Sir Keir Starmer condemned the killing of protesters in the country and urged Tehran to “exercise restraint” amid a crackdown on demonstrations against the regime.
The US secretary of state Marco Rubio also posted on X in support of the “brave people of Iran” on Saturday – following praise for the protesters by Mr Trump a day earlier.
During a White House briefing about Venezuelan oil, the US president said: “Iran’s in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago.”
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