Mohammad Salas, accused of running over three police officers, sentenced to three executions

Mohammad Salas, accused of running over three police officers with a bus during a clash between Gonabadi dervishes and security forces on Pasdaran Street in Tehran, has been sentenced to three executions. Mohammad Shahriari, the head of Tehran's criminal prosecutor's office, stated on Wednesday, April 15, without detailing Salas's sentence, that he has also been sentenced to imprisonment. According to the report, after the issuance of the indictment and the clarification of charges of 'three counts of intentional murder' and 'disturbing public order' against Salas, three court sessions were held in the ninth branch of the Tehran Criminal Court, leading to his sentencing. Previously, the state news agency IRNA reported on March 28 that the court judge had issued a death sentence for Salas. The court announced that the plaintiffs and the heirs of the deceased had requested Salas's execution. Hossein Rahimi, the commander of Tehran's police, had previously stated that this Gonabadi dervish would be executed before the end of the year 1396 (March 2018). According to the law, after the issuance of the sentence, the defendant and his lawyer have 20 days to appeal. Salas was accused in court of driving a bus towards a group of police officers and killing three of them. A video that circulated on social media during the night of the clash between the dervishes and police and Basij forces showed a white bus zigzagging into the police forces. Salas, in one of his court sessions, claimed, 'I have 17 broken places on my head. They {the officers} first struck me several times, which made me angry.' In his final defense, he stated that he feared the officers would get back on the bus and 'assault' him. This Gonabadi dervish reported his 'visual impairment' and stated that 'I cannot even recognize two meters,' denying the intentionality of his movement towards the police forces. He expressed sorrow over the death of three police officers due to the collision with the bus he was driving, saying, 'I love execution. I am not saying this so that I am not executed; I love execution. I drove the car and wanted to pass the incident. I did not intentionally run over them; my conscience is clear.' During the protests by Gonabadi dervishes on February 19 last year on Pasdaran Street in Tehran, dozens of dervish supporters were injured in clashes with security forces. On that day, according to security officials, two Basij members were killed, and 30 police officers were injured. According to some reports, at least 300 Gonabadi dervish supporters were arrested during these protests and scattered clashes, with some still in prison. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Mohammad Raji, a detained Gonabadi dervish, died in police custody, a news confirmed by his family. Additionally, Amnesty International stated that eight imprisoned Gonabadi dervishes have gone on hunger strike since April 7 in protest against what they called 'torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment.' On April 9, Amnesty International also expressed concern about the situation of at least 11 women dervishes held in Qarchak prison and called for their immediate release. Typically, Iranian officials deny any mistreatment of prisoners, a claim rejected by human rights organizations.