Iran's judiciary confirms death sentence for protester

TEHRAN — Iran's judiciary confirmed on Monday the death sentence against a man accused of violence during protests over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.

"Mohammad Boroghani's death sentence was upheld on December 6 by the supreme court," the judiciary's Mizan Online news website said.

The judiciary says it has handed down a total of 11 death sentences in connection with the protests. Two of those have been carried out.

Iran has been gripped by demonstrations since the September 16 death in custoday of Amini, 22, an Iranian Kurd arrested by the country's morality police for allegedly violating the country's strict dress code for women.

Iranian officials call the protests "riots" and say hundreds of people including members of the security forces have been killed.

Thousands of others have been arrested.

Boroghani was charged in October with moharebeh, "enmity against God", an offence punishable by death under Islamic sharia law.

He was accused of "wounding a security personnel with a knife with the intent of killing him and sowing terror among citizens" as well as "setting ablaze the governor's office in Pakdasht", a city 43 kilometres southeast of the capital Tehran.

The supreme court had in recent weeks ordered retrials for three protesters, including a Kurdish rapper, facing the death penalty for their alleged involvement in the demonstrations.