TEHRAN, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Three Iranians detained since riots following the country's disputed presidential election have been handed death sentences, a local news agency says.
The Iranian Students News Agency reported Saturday the judgments against the unnamed detainees must be confirmed by a higher court, the BBC said.
Justice Ministry official Zahed Bashiri Rad was quoted as saying three people accused for their roles "in the post-election incidents have been sentenced to death." Rad added they were convicted for maintaining ties to the banned monarchist group Kingdom Assembly of Iran and to the People's Mujahideen, which advocates the overthrow of the Islamic republic.
The British network said a reformist Web site this week claimed Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani, an opposition activist, had been sentenced to die for his activities during the protests, but it was unclear if he was among those sentenced this week.
Amnesty International, in a statement, urged Iran to rescind Zamani's death sentence, which it said was imposed Thursday for crimes that include "enmity against God," conspiring against national security and traveling to Iraq illegally for an alleged meeting with the U.S. military.
"Zamani's trial was a mockery of justice," said Amnesty International USA Executive Director Larry Cox. "To impose the death sentence is beyond deplorable. Iran should immediately rescind this sentence."
