Human rights organizations are sounding the alarm over the increasing use of the death penalty as a means of suppressing political dissent in Iran, following the death sentence handed down to a 23-year-old female student for “blasphemy” due to a post she made on social media. The case has sparked strong reactions, at a time when, according to organizations, more than 600 executions have taken place in the country since the beginning of the year.
Najmeh Amini, a 23-year-old accounting student, is being held at Vakilabad Prison in the city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran. She has been sentenced to death and, in a separate case, to more than 12 years in prison, following trials in different courts.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
According to a source close to her family, who spoke to the U.S.-based organization Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI), Amini was sentenced to death on the charge of “sab ol-nabi,” meaning insulting the Prophet Muhammad. In her second trial, she was sentenced to 12 years, six months and one day, for offenses including acts against national security and spreading anti-regime propaganda.
The young woman was arrested by security forces during the mass anti-government protests in January, which were brutally suppressed. According to international media, thousands of people were killed, while the Hrana news agency, affiliated with the HRAI, reported more than 50,000 arrests.
“I don’t want to be a heroine; I just want you to be my voice.”
Last month, in an audio message released from prison, Amini made a dramatic appeal for international intervention, asking the United Nations, lawyers, and human rights organizations to take up her case. “I don’t want to present myself as a heroine today. I want only one thing: for you to be my voice,” she said in her message.
“I am an innocent young girl, full of hopes and dreams. I have parents who are waiting for me. A family that lies awake every night, afraid they might lose me,” she added.
Human rights organizations warn that Iranian authorities are increasingly using the death penalty to foster a climate of fear and suppress any form of dissent. According to the Oslo-based organization Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), more than 600 people have been executed in Iran since the beginning of the year.
The organization’s director, Mahmoud Amiri-Moghadam, described the case of the 23-year-old woman as particularly alarming, noting that it could set a dangerous precedent. “Sentencing a young woman to death for what she posted on social media risks normalizing the use of the death penalty against peaceful expression andthe scope of its application even further,” he said. He argued that the Iranian authorities are testing the limits of the international community’s “tolerance” toward the death penalty. “If the international community does not react decisively now, cases like this could become much more frequent,” he warned.
What Iranian Law Says About Blasphemy
According to Article 262 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, insulting the Prophet Muhammad or figures considered sacred by Shia Muslims is punishable by death. However, Article 263 provides for exceptions for statements made while intoxicated or without intent to offend, although in some cases a penalty of up to 74 lashes may still be imposed.
According to the Iranian newspaper Khorasan, which confirmed that the trial had taken place, Amini argued in court that she had posted the controversial comments after consuming hallucinogenic mushrooms with friends. Her defense argued that this was an involuntary verbal slip, asking the court to take into account her state of mind at the time of the post.
The presiding judge rejected the defense’s argument, posing the following question, according to the report: “Why, in the same state of delusion, did you not insult other individuals or opponents of the regime, such as the United States and Israel?”
The 23-year-old’s death sentence is not final and remains subject to appeal before Iran’s Supreme Court.
Source: protothema.gr
