Iran to retry rapper reportedly on death row

TEHRAN: Iran´s supreme court has ordered the retrial of a Kurdish rapper who was reportedly sentenced to death over protests sparked by Mahsa Amini´s death, the judiciary said on Saturday.

Iran this month executed two people in connection with the protests. It has sentenced another 11 people to death. One of them, Mahan Sadrat, secured a retrial earlier this week.

On Saturday the judiciary´s Mizan Online website said the Kurdish rapper Saman Seydi -- also known as Saman Yasin -- and another protester, Mohammad Ghobadlou, would be retried. Hours later, however, Mizan issued a new statement from the supreme court that said Ghobadlou´s appeal had been rejected and confirmed his sentence. It did not elaborate.

Rights groups outside Iran have said Seydi and Ghobadlou had been facing the death penalty based on accusations of involvement in the protests.