26-Year-Old Iranian Sentenced To Death Goes On Hunger Strike

An Iranian sentenced to death for allegedly damaging public property during protests in Tehran has gone on hunger strike.

Sahand Noor Mohammadzadeh was arrested on October 4 and sentenced to death two months later on the charge of “waging war against God” for allegedly attempting to break the guardrail of a highway and setting fire to a rubbish bin.

The basis for issuing the death sentence was a video in which he cannot be seen trying to break a guardrail or setting a fire.

The 26-year-old started a hunger strike on December 12 in protest against his sentence.

In an audio file sent to IranWire last week, Mohammadzadeh rejected the accusations against him. He also said that, due to pressure exerted on him by his interrogator and the judge, he was forced to admit guilt and sign papers without even reading them.

A source said that after the release of the audio file, Mohammadzadeh was questioned by his jailers at Greater Tehran Prison (Fashafouye) about the recording.

“Interrogators told Sahand, ‘Do you want to make your case heavier with these things’? In response, he said, ‘I have received a death sentence for something I did not do. What else could happen’?" the source told IranWire.