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Iran Woman Sentenced to Death Over Social Media Post, Rights Groups Warn

Human rights organizations are raising alarm over what they describe as an accelerating use of capital punishment to silence dissent in Iran after a 23-year-old woman was reportedly sentenced to death for blasphemy linked to social media activity

Growing concern over Iran’s use of capital punishment has intensified following reports that a 23-year-old woman has been sentenced to death for blasphemy in a case tied to her activity on social media.

Najmeh Amini, who is being held at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad in northeastern Iran, received both a death sentence and a separate prison term exceeding 12 years following two different judicial proceedings, according to reports highlighted by The Guardian.

Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI), a U.S.-based organization, cited a source close to Amini’s family as saying that the death sentence was issued on a charge of “sab ol-nabi,” or insulting the Prophet. The source said Iranian authorities arrested Amini after online monitoring conducted by security forces, though the content that led to the prosecution has not been publicly disclosed.

In a separate case, Amini was sentenced to 12 years, six months and one day in prison on charges that included activities against national security and spreading propaganda against the state.

The case has drawn additional attention because of the circumstances surrounding her arrest. Amini was detained by Iranian security forces during protests that took place earlier this year in the Islamic Republic. Last month, an audio recording attributed to her circulated publicly, featuring a female voice appealing for international intervention and urging the United Nations, lawyers and human rights organizations to examine her case.

“I am an innocent girl, with many dreams and hopes,” the voice says in the recording. “I have parents waiting for me.”

Human rights advocates say the case reflects a broader trend. They accuse Iranian authorities of increasingly relying on the death penalty as a tool of intimidation and a means of suppressing dissent.

According to the Oslo-based organization Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), more than 600 people have been executed in Iran this year. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the group, warned that imposing a death sentence on a young woman over material posted on social media risks normalizing the use of capital punishment against peaceful expression. He further cautioned that similar cases could become increasingly common if the international community fails to respond forcefully.

Iranian newspaper Khorasan reported that Amini told the court she had published the disputed content while experiencing hallucinations. The death sentence has not yet become final.

While executions in Iran have increased significantly in recent years, The Guardian noted that death sentences for blasphemy remain comparatively uncommon. The most recent documented case dates to May 8, 2023, when Yousef Mehrad and Sadrollah Fazeli-Zare were executed on blasphemy charges linked to social media activities.

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