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From an article at Iran International: Renaming protesters
Across successive protest movements, Iranian authorities have routinely reframed demonstrations by dividing participants into shifting categories: first “peaceful protesters” and “rioters,” and more recently “vandals,” “saboteurs” and “terrorists.”
These labels are not merely rhetorical. Each carries specific legal consequences.
“Security forces and the judiciary will show no tolerance whatsoever toward saboteurs," Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement on Jan. 9.
The stark warning came a day after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Tehran would accept legitimate economic protests but stop “rioters.”
Once a detainee is removed from the category of protester, prosecutors gain access to a separate set of charges—including moharebeh (warring against God), efsad-fel-arz (corruption on earth), terrorism, armed action or collaboration with hostile states—all of which can carry the death penalty.
The underlying conduct may remain the same, but its legal classification changes.
In this way, the state’s claim that it does not execute protesters is technically consistent with its practice. Executions occur only after protest-related activity has been reclassified as a more serious offense.