What's happening in Iran

The last eight weeks have been some of the most chaotic times in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. In the first capital punishment sentence handed down since anti-government demonstrations began in September, an Iranian court has sentenced a protester to death for allegedly setting fire to a government building.

The government has been ruthless in its retaliation against people it perceives as causing instability, with judges doling out prison sentences and hundreds of people across the country being charged with “enmity against God” and “spreading corruption on Earth”—crimes that are punishable by death. There are reportedly as many as 20 Iranians currently facing the death penalty.

According to human rights groups, more than 300 people have been killed by security forces while participating in anti-government protests. a Norway-based nonprofit, says that at minimum the Iranian government is responsible for the death of 43 children and 25 women. Some 40 members of the government’s security forces are reported to have been killed in clashes. According to some estimates, upwards of 15,000 demonstrators have been arrested since the uprising began.

Anti-government protesters set their scarves on fire in the Iranian capital of Tehran on October 1. [Photo: Getty Images]