A man, 21, who gave out chocolate and hugs in a protest against the Iranian regime has been sentenced to death.
Mohammed Nasiri was arrested last month in the city of Qazvin and accused of “waging war against God”, with the death penalty a punishment for this, after he allegedly wounded a member of the pro-regime militia forces.
He was reportedly one of four men who decided to take part in the protest movement that has been sweeping Iran seeking greater freedom and equality.
It is believed that two of the men were giving out chocolates to people in the street and hugs while the other two were filming and looking out for security forces.
But when they were seen by plain clothed police they tried to run away with all of them succeeding apart from Mr Nasiri.
"Our job was to give free hugs or chocolates to passers-by. In our opinion, this was the most peaceful way to protest the existing situation," Vahid, a member of the group, told IranWire.
“We were often encouraged by people and passers-by.
"On November 12, we were on Khayyam Street for 15 minutes when a motorbike approached us and a person said we should be cautious because he had seen plainclothes officers watching us.”
It is claimed that Mr Nasiri was hit with a Taser by a policeman and then he was beaten.
"As soon as that policeman reached Mohammad, he hit him with an electric shocker and stopped him. Two or three people started beating him. Then they dragged his half-dead body on the ground and took him with them to the parking lot of the Persian Gulf complex," said Vahid.
Opposition groups have criticised Iranian police for brutally putting down protests.
Mr Nasiri gave a forced “confession” on local television where he is supposed to have admitted attacking a paramilitary policeman, said IranWire which added this practice was common for propaganda.
On the television programme it was supposedly claimed that the “hugging” had been done to ignite riots and then showed pictures of a bandaged man who was claimed to have been attacked by Mr Nasiri.
"I was just five meters away. I saw Mohammad until the last moment when they put him in the police car. This claim is completely false", Vahid said.
Hadi, another friend who managed to escape from the security forces, said, "when Mohammad was taken from the street, there was no injured person there…the Basij forces and plainclothes officers were completely healthy and none of them had been injured."
Protestors have been demanding the overthrow of Iran's clerical rulers following the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, 22, who died in police custody.
In September, Ms Amini was arrested by Iran's morality police for “improperly” wearing her hijab and, according to her family and local media, severely beaten while in custody.
Numbers differ regarding how many people have been killed since the protests began.
The ongoing protests in Iran have killed at least 458 people, including 63 children, and injured at least 1,160, according to independent estimates. Eleven people have so far been sentenced to death by Iranian courts, with two executions carried out so far.
It is also understood that more than 18,000 people have been arrested.
