Najmeh Amini, a 23-year-old accounting student, has reportedly been sentenced to death for blasphemy in Iran. The sentence stems from a social media post, with charges of "sab ol-nabi" (insulting the prophet), according to a source close to her family who spoke to Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI).
Amini is currently held in Vakilabad prison in Mashhad. In addition to the death sentence, she has also been sentenced to 12 years, six months, and one day in prison for other charges, including acting against national security and spreading propaganda against the regime. These sentences were handed down in separate cases by a revolutionary and a criminal court.
The Iranian newspaper Khorasan confirmed the judicial proceedings, reporting that Amini told the court she made the remarks while hallucinating after taking psychedelic mushrooms. Her defence argued it was a "slip of the tongue," but the presiding judge reportedly rejected this argument. Amini's death sentence is not final and is subject to appeal before Iran's supreme court.
Human rights groups have expressed alarm over the rising number of death sentences and executions in Iran, which they say are used to suppress dissent. The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) reports that more than 600 executions have been carried out this year. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of IHRNGO, stated that Amini’s case is a serious warning and risks normalising the use of the death penalty against peaceful expression.