Iranian judiciary announced the issuance of five more death sentences for charges ranging from espionage to involvement in pyramid schemes and activities in the internet.
Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, Iran’s prosecutor general told ISNA that two people identified and arrested by the Revolutionary Guards for involvement in “obscene” websites have been recognized as “corruptors of the earth” and sentenced to death in the preliminary court.
Another individual was sentenced to death charged with espionage for Israeli objectives; Mohseni Ejei said adding that the sentence has not been approved by the Supreme Court yet.
Iran’s prosecutor general went on to add that two other individuals were given the death sentence according to the laws against disturbers of the economic system of the country. He added that they were involved in audiovisual activities but did not identify any of the recent prisoners who have received the death sentence.
Over 80 people were executed in Iran in a single month according to official statistics released by the Islamic Republic government.
Most recently, Zahra Bahrami, an Iranian-Dutch citizen was hanged on January 29 accused of drug-related charges.
The Dutch government has frozen all contact with the Islamic Republic in protest to the sudden execution of Bahrami.
Mohseni Ejei said today that those who have protested to the execution of Bahrami should realize hat they are interfering on Iran’s internal affairs.
Ejei went on to add that fifteen more post-election cases have been issued sentneces which include prison terms and floggings.
In the past year, tens of Iranian political dissidents have been sentenced to heavy prison terms.
The reporters also questioned Mohseni Ejei today regarding the American and Gemran detainees in Iran.
Ejei announced that Sarah Shourd, one of the three detained Americans who was released in September on a $500,000 bail and is currently in the US, has been summoned to court by the Iranian judiciary. He added that the trial of the three US citizens will take place on February 6.
Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal were arrested in the August of 2009 in the Iran-Iraq border region for illegal entry into Iran. While Iranian authorities have made charges of espionage against them, the Americans maintain that they had accidentally strayed into Iran.
The case of the two German journalists who were arrested in connection with Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the woman sentenced to stoning was also touched on by Mohseni Ejei today.
He maintained that their file is being processed and if the case against them is proven, they cannot “get away with a mere apology.”
The two journalists who were arrested for engaging in journalistic activities in Iran without having obtained the necessary press visa permit, have been detained in Iran since last September.
Last month, Ali Akabr Salehi, caretaker of Iran’s foreign minsitry at the time, announced that an apology from the editor-in-chief of the German paper and the two journalists could help lighten the case against them.
