Human rights groups have raised alarms over the increasing use of death sentences in Iran, following reports that Najmeh Amini, a 23-year-old woman, has been sentenced to death for blasphemy related to a social media post. Amini, an accounting student, is currently held in Vakilabad prison in the north-eastern city of Mashhad.
Details of the Sentencing
Amini has received a death sentence for charges of "sab ol-nabi" (insulting the prophet) and an additional sentence of more than 12 years in prison for acting against national security and spreading propaganda against the regime. A source close to Amini’s family informed the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI) that she was sentenced in separate cases heard by a revolutionary and a criminal court.
Amini was arrested during the nationwide protests in January, which were met with a deadly crackdown resulting in thousands of deaths and over 50,000 arrests according to HRAI.
A Call for Help
In an audio recording released from prison last month, Amini appealed for international intervention, urging the UN, lawyers, and rights groups to investigate her case. She stated:
“"I do not want to make a hero out of myself today. I only want one thing: be my voice. I am an innocent young girl with so many hopes and dreams. I have parents who are waiting for me. A family that every night, with the fear of losing me, turns their night into morning."
Growing Concerns Over Executions
Rights groups warn that the Iranian authorities are increasingly resorting to capital punishment to instill fear and suppress dissent. According to the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), over 600 executions have been carried out in Iran this year alone. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of IHRNGO, remarked that Amini’s case serves as a serious warning:
