Authorities Execute Prisoner Arrested During Protests

The Iranian regime has for the first time executed a prisoner taken during ongoing anti-government demonstrations, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Mohsen Shekari was convicted of blocking a street in Tehran while holding a "machete" and injuring a member of the Basij paramilitary, which has been widely used to crack down on the protests, reported Iran's Mizan judiciary news outlet.

Shekari was convicted of "moharebeh," or "waging war on God," a common charge brought against political dissidents.

He was convicted in the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, which has been criticized for holding closed-door trials, in which defendants are unable to see the evidence against them or choose their own lawyers.

This is the first known execution related to the protests, suggesting that the regime is hardening its stance against the demonstrators.

The U.N. Human Rights Council has accused Iran of using the death penalty to quell protests as well as extracting confessions through torture.