Iran’s supreme court has ordered the retrial of a Kurdish rapper, who was reportedly sentenced to death over protests sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death, the judiciary said Saturday.
Protests have gripped Iran since the September 16 death of Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian of Kurdish origin, after her arrest in Tehran for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic’s dress code for women.
Iran this month executed two men in connection with the protests. It has sentenced dozens of others to death.
On Saturday the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said the Kurdish rapper Saman Seydi -- also known as Saman Yasin -- and another protester, Mohammad Ghobadlou, would be retried.
Hours later, Tasnim news agency which is affiliated with Iranian Revolutionary Guards denied the retrial of Mohammad Ghobadlou.
Rights groups outside Iran have said both had been facing the death penalty based on accusations of involvement in the protests.
Mizan did not specify the verdicts, but confirmed both were charged with offences punishable by death.
Ghobadlou was charged in Tehran with “corruption on earth” for “attacking police with a car, which resulted in the death of one officer and the injury of five others”, while Seydi was accused of “moharebeh”, which means “enmity against God”.
Rights groups said the rapper had been accused of firing a pistol three times into the air during the demonstrations.
Saturday’s announcement comes three days after Mizan said the supreme court had ordered the retrial of Sadrat, who had been sentenced to death after being convicted of capital offences during the protests.
Iran has arrested thousands of protesters. Foreign-based rights groups say the security forces have killed more than 450 people in a crackdown on the movement.
The Islamic republic has already executed two young men over the protests.
