Silence or Sentence

"3 Iranians tied to election protests get death sentences"
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/10/11/iran.death.sentences/index.html

While we Americans are often fed up with the government in recent years, I have to say, we've never quite had it as bad as Iran does right now. Sure, many think their June 12 election was rigged, but if they actually voice that opinion, well, just look at that headline. A death sentence? Really? Now, the article does mention that the sentence can be appealed; then it proceeds to explain that those who have been arrested for connections with opposition groups have allegedly been tortured into confessing and/or been raped in prison, though the current president, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, has condemned the supposed "atrocites committed at certain detention centers." These are not the first arrests either. Dozens of outspoken citizens been detained since the post-election protests, with who knows how many to come. Granted we do not have every piece of information here, but given these few facts, something seems a little off.