Iran’s judiciary signals fast trials and executions for detained protesters
A security force crackdown on the demonstrations has already killed at least 2,571 people.
Iran’s top judge has hinted at fast trials and executions for people detained in nationwide protests against the country’s theocracy, as activists said the death toll had risen to 2,572.
Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei made the comments in a video shared by Iranian state television on Wednesday, despite a warning from US President Donald Trump that he will “take very strong action” if executions take place.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the number of dead had climbed to at least 2,571 early on Wednesday. The figure dwarfs the toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
After Mr Trump was informed on the number of deaths, he warned Tehran that he was terminating any negotiations and would “act accordingly”.
Details of the crackdown began emerging on Tuesday as Iranians made phone calls abroad for the first time in days after authorities severed communications countrywide when the protests broke out.
Mr Mohseni-Ejei emphasised the need for swift action, saying delays would lessen the impact.
His remarks challenge Mr Trump, who warned Tehran about executions in an interview aired on Tuesday.
He said the US would take strong action if Iran proceeded with executions, amid escalating tensions between the two countries over the handling of the protests.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency said the death toll includes at least 2,403 protesters and 147 government-affiliated people, adding that 12 children were killed, along with nine civilians who were not taking part in protests. More than 18,100 people have been detained, the group said.
Iranian state television said a mass funeral in Tehran on Wednesday will include 300 bodies of security force members and civilians. The funeral is expected to take place at the University of Tehran under heavy security.
An Arab Gulf diplomat said major Middle East governments including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are discouraging the Trump administration from waging a war with Iran, fearing “unprecedented consequences” in the region.
The source said the governments have been “in constant contact” with Washington over a potential American strike that could explode into a “full-blown war”, which would “certainly” have dire repercussions “not only on the Middle East but also on the global economy”.
Satellite internet provider Starlink is offering a free service in to people Iran who have access to the company’s receivers, activists said on Wednesday.
Mehdi Yahyanejad, a Los Angeles-based activist who helped get the units into Iran, told the Associated Press the free service had started, confirmed by other activists online.
Starlink has been the only way for Iranians to communicate with the outside world since authorities shut down the internet on Thursday night as nationwide protests swelled and began a crackdown against demonstrators.
Starlink did not immediately acknowledge the decision.
Dozens of Pakistani students studying in Iran have returned home through a remote south-western border crossing, a Pakistani immigration official said on Wednesday.
Samina Raisani, a Federal Investigation Agency spokeswoman in Quetta city, said about 60 students crossed into Pakistan on Tuesday through the Gabd border in Balochistan province with valid travel documents.
More students are expected to return through the same crossing later, she added.
Mudassir Tipu, Pakistan’s ambassador to Tehran, said on Tuesday that Iranian universities had rescheduled exams and permitted international students to leave the country.
India’s embassy in Tehran urged all Indian nationals to leave Iran, citing the “evolving situation”. The statement also advised Indian citizens to remain highly vigilant and avoid protest areas.
