Mohammad Mehdi Karami, an Iranian protester who has been sentenced to death, has launched a hunger strike after his sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court.
The activist group HRANA quoted Karami’s lawyer as saying that his client has been on a hunger strike since January 4 in Karaj Central Prison to protest the court's decision and its denial of his right to choose a lawyer of his choosing.
Lawyer Mohammad Aghasi said earlier this week that the court did not allow him to represent Karami, a move that contradicted a recent claim by the head of the Supreme Court that all prisoners have the right to choose their legal representation.
Authorities have accused 16 protesters, including Karami, of causing the death of a member of the Basij paramilitary force during an anti-government demonstration.
All of the accused deny the charges, saying they were being targeted for their part in the nationwide protests triggered by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini.
Five people were handed death sentences in the case, while another 11 people, including three minors, were handed lengthy jail terms.
The Supreme Court's public relations director announced on Twitter on January 3 that based on the court's decision, the death sentences for three of the defendants were being revoked due to a flaw in the investigation.
Last month, the opposition activist collective 1500tasvir reported that Karami said in a meeting with his family that officers beat him so badly during his arrest that they left his body in the street thinking he was dead. They realized he wasn't just as they were leaving and placed him in detention.
Human rights organizations have strongly objected to death sentences being issued against protesters in Iran after "sham trials" that are rushed through the courts.
Authorities have warned for weeks that they will react harshly to any unrest. Lawmakers have pushed the judiciary to render harsh penalties -- including the death penalty -- in trials for those arrested during protests over the death of the 22-year-old Amini following her arrest by Tehran’s morality police for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly.
So far, Iranian authorities have followed through with their threats by executing two protesters.
Majidreza Rahnavard was hanged in a public execution on December 12 -- just 23 days after he was arrested -- after being convicted of killing two members of Iran's security forces. The group Iran Human Rights said Rahnavard's sentencing was based on "coerced confessions, after a grossly unfair process and a show trial."
Meanwhile, Moshen Shekari was executed publicly on December 8 after an appeal of his sentence was rejected by Iran's Supreme Court. He was accused of allegedly wounding a security officer.
The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights Organization says more than 500 executions were carried out in Iran in 2022.