Johnson Progress

South Korean prosecutors have requested the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, during closing arguments of his trial in Seoul.

Yoon stands accused of being the “ringleader of an insurrection” following his botched attempt to impose martial law in December 2024, an act that plunged the nation into brief but severe political turmoil and led to his impeachment and detention.

The prosecution argued that Yoon’s actions constituted a grave assault on the constitutional order.

Yoon has denied the charges, claiming his move was a “symbolic gesture to draw public attention to the wrongdoings of the opposition party.”

The court’s verdict, which could see a former head of state sentenced to death, is now awaited.

This development coincides with a severe international crisis, as human rights groups report a violent crackdown on widespread protests in Iran has left more than 2,000 people dead.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) stated it has confirmed at least 2,003 killings during 17 days of unrest, with reports of a further 779 deaths under review.

“We’re horrified, but we still think the number is conservative,” HRANA Deputy Director Skylar Thompson told the Associated Press.

The Norway-based Iran Human Rights group offered a more conservative confirmed toll of 734, but its director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, warned AFP that “the real number of those killed is likely in the thousands.”

The protests, sparked by economic collapse and soaring living costs, have spread to 180 cities, evolving into one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s clerical establishment since 1979.

Authorities have responded with deadly force and a near-total internet blackout, now exceeding 120 hours.

An Iranian official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, also cited a death toll of about 2,000, blaming “terrorists” for the deaths of both protesters and security personnel.

Graphic videos from mortuaries, show scores of shrouded bodies, while hospitals are described as “warzone[s]” by medical professionals.

Prof. Shahram Kordasti, an Iranian oncologist in London, relayed a message from a Tehran colleague: “In most hospitals, it’s like a warzone. We are short of supplies, short of blood.”

International reaction has been sharp.

US President Donald Trump, promising help was “on its way,” wrote on Truth Social: “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING… Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.”

He later told CBS the US would take “very strong action” if Iran began executing protesters.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper summoned Iran’s ambassador over the “horrendous and brutal killing.”

Iranian leadership has remained defiant.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that while ready for diplomacy, Iran was prepared for other options if the US tested a military response.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told pro-government rallies that authorities had “neutralised the plans by foreign enemies.”

Within Iran, the judiciary is taking a hardline stance.

Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei promised severe punishment, with some protesters facing charges of “enmity against God,” which carries the death penalty.

Disturbingly, the family of detainee Erfan Soltani and a Kurdish rights group report he has already been sentenced to death in an expedited two-day trial, with execution reportedly scheduled for Wednesday.

As South Korea awaits a historic verdict for its former president, the world watches a deepening tragedy in Iran, where the scale of violence and the threat of state-sanctioned executions are drawing global condemnation and raising fears of further escalation.