Tehran, Iran – Reports that the Iranian state has sentenced approximately 15,000 people to death for participating in the now two months of protests in the country have circulated widely on social media and in news.

First reported by Newsweek, they were so widespread that even Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, tweeted about the claim, saying: “Canada denounces the Iranian regime’s barbaric decision to impose the death penalty on nearly 15,000 protesters.”

The protesters in question have been on the streets nearly every day since the September 16 death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was arrested by the country’s morality police in Tehran for allegedly not complying with Iran’s dress code for women.

But Trudeau later deleted the tweet, and Newsweek corrected its story.

Let’s take a closer look:

Is the 15,000 figure real?

• While thousands have been arrested in Iran and some have been sentenced to death, the numbers are nowhere near the 15,000 reported.
• The 15,000 figure is the number of people believed to have been arrested, according to overseas-based human rights and media organisations. The same sources have reported that more than 350 protesters have been killed.

Where did the 15,000 executions story come from?

• The news of the executions appears to have stemmed from a statement signed by 227 of Iran’s 290 parliamentarians that said people engaging in “moharebeh” (waging war against God) should be dealt with “decisively” with a response...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiaWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFsamF6ZWVyY...