STOCKHOLM — The appeals trial of an Iranian citizen who was sentenced to life by a Swedish court for committing war crimes and murder during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, started Wednesday in Stockholm.

Hamid Noury was given a life sentence for taking part in severe atrocities in July and August 1988 while working as an assistant to the deputy prosecutor at the Gohardasht prison outside the Iranian city of Karaj.

Throughout last year’s trial, Noury denied wrongdoing and Iran called the court a “show” based on political motives.

On Wednesday, despite heavy rain, two dozen people opposed to the Iranian government demonstrated outside the appeals court in suburban Stockholm, which is due to deliver its ruling later this year.

The development comes at a tense time for Tehran.

Iran has sentenced a Belgian aid worker to a lengthy prison term and lashes after convicting him of espionage in a closed-door trial. Over the years, Iran has detained a number of foreigners and dual nationals, accusing them of espionage or other state security offenses and sentencing them after secretive trials in which rights groups say they are denied due process.

Anti-government protests have convulsed Iran for months following the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained for allegedly violating Iran’s strict Islamic dress code. Rallying under the slogan “Women, life, freedom,” the protesters say they are fed up with decades of social and political repression. Iran has blamed the protests on foreign powers, without providing evidence.