According to the non-governmental organization Iran Human Rights (IHR), an 18-year-old Iranian is facing execution for the alleged killing of a police officer during the recent wave of protests. Saleh Mohammadi was sentenced to death on February 3 by a court in Qom, central Iran, the Norway-based group said on Thursday. For its part, the Iranian judiciary said that no final verdict had been made yet.
The court convicted Mohammadi for killing a police officer on January 8, IHR said. His execution should therefore take place publicly at the alleged crime scene in Qom. According to HER, the young man has 20 days to appeal his conviction. In the past, however, people were executed before this deadline expired.
Mohammadi was “forced” into confessions during the investigation, the human rights group said. He later “retracted his statements in court,” but was still convicted. The 18-year-old has competed in several wrestling competitions for Iran and won a bronze medal in an international competition.
US President Donald Trump has warned Iran of serious consequences if the country does not reach an agreement with the US. “It will be very traumatic for Iran if they don’t make a deal,” he emphasized at the White House. Last year, when Washington and Tehran were already negotiating Iran’s nuclear program, Iran should have agreed to a deal, Trump said.
On Wednesday, after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the US President made it clear that he preferred an agreement with Iran to military steps. Trump once again spoke of a “very good meeting” with Netanyahu and at the same time emphasized that the decision about the US’s course of action ultimately rests with him.
