An Islamic Revolutionary Court in Iran has sentenced an 18-year-old accused protester to two death sentences on charges of "corruption on Earth" and "waging war against God," the activist HRANA news agency reports.
The report said Mehdi Mohammadifard was arrested on September 30 in connection with protests in the northern Iranian city of Nowshahr.
He was accused of helping organize and lead a rally on September 21.
During his detention, Mohammadifard was reportedly denied access to a lawyer and the court forced him to use a public defender.
HRANA quoted a source close to Mohammadifard's family as saying his confessions were the result of coercion and torture and there was no documentary evidence of any crime.
Since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by the notorious morality police for wearing a hijab "improperly," Iranians have protested en masse, with women and even schoolgirls putting up unprecedented shows of defiance in what appears to be the biggest threat to the Islamic government in decades.
A brutal government crackdown on public demonstrators and dissent has seen several thousand arrested, including journalists, lawyers, activists, digital rights defenders, and others voicing opposition to the government.
Hard-liners have demanded an even sharper reaction, calling for heavy penalties, including death sentences, for protesters.
Two public executions have taken place, according to the authorities, and rights groups say many other defendants have been condemned to death.
Investigations by RFERL's Radio Farda show that in the last three months, at least 44 Iranian protesters have been accused of "waging war against God" and "corruption on Earth," which are punishable by death and often leveled in cases allegedly involving espionage or attempts to overthrow the government.
