The Supreme Court has dismissed Abbas Deris’s plea for a retrial. Deris, arrested during the 2019 nationwide protests (Aban Protests), faced a death sentence, with his arrest linked to charges of “enmity against God (Moharebeh).”

Despite significant flaws in the legal case and the initial verdict, the Supreme Court of Iran rejected the retrial request, as confirmed by Deris’s lawyer, Fereshteh Tabanian. The legal team has now invoked Article 477 of Iran’s Criminal Procedure Code, which allows for a retrial if a final verdict is deemed inconsistent with Islamic law.

Having initially filed the retrial request in July 2023 to Branch 9 of the Supreme Court, Deris saw a temporary suspension of the verdict. However, in the subsequent month, Tabanian announced that Branch 39 of the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence, disregarding the acknowledged flaws in the case.

Abbas Deris, currently incarcerated at Mahshahr Prison, was accused of firing shots at security forces during the protests, leading to the death of Police Captain Reza Sayyadi. His coerced confession during interrogation by the IRGC was later broadcast by Iran-state TV. However, during the trial, Deris admitted to participating in the protests but denied any involvement in shooting at security forces.

It is noteworthy that Deris’s brother, also a co-defendant, was acquitted of all charges. Both were arrested on December 8, 2019. Abbas Deris, aged approximately 49, is a father of three children.

Background on Aban Protests:

In November 2019, a surge in fuel prices triggered widespread protests across numerous cities in Iran. The Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission reported 7,000 arrests during these protests. Human rights organizations documented hundreds of deaths at the hands of the security apparatus.