Critical professor sentenced to death, again

An Iranian court has reimposed a death sentence against a university professor who criticised clerical rule.

The original sentence handed down to Hashem Aghajari in November 2002 caused students to protest in his support, turning out in the biggest demonstrations in years.

The death sentence was reinstated today by a court in Hamedan province in western Iran, the chief judiciary official in the province said.

“A judge has reimposed the death sentence against Hashem Aghajari,” said Zekrollah Ahmadi.

Aghajari was convicted in 2002 of insulting Islam and questioning the rule of hard-line clerics. He was condemned to death, banned from teaching for 10 years, exiled for eight years to three remote cities, and sentenced to receive 74 lashes.

Iran’s Supreme Court lifted the death sentence last February, saying the charges were inconsistent with what Aghajari had said in the speech that triggered his prosecution.