Iranian Woman Sentenced to Death for Blasphemy Over Social Media Post

An Iranian accounting student, Najmeh Amini, 23, has been sentenced to death for blasphemy after allegedly insulting the prophet in a social media post. Amini has been held in Mashhad's Vakilabad Prison for eight months.

While initial reports indicated Amini faced charges including insulting the Supreme Leader and clashing with security agents, Iranian human rights activists revealed the death sentence is for "sab ol-nabi," or insulting the prophet. She also received a 12-year, six-month, and one-day sentence for charges related to acting against national security and spreading anti-regime propaganda.

Amini was arrested on January 31, 2026, amid widespread protests against the Iranian government. Human rights groups reported that security forces responded with a severe crackdown, resulting in over 7,000 deaths and thousands of arrests.

A leaked voice recording, reportedly from inside the prison, features Amini pleading for help and justice. "I am an innocent girl, a young person with so many hopes and dreams," she is heard saying. "I only ask one thing: be my voice. ... I request that international human rights organisations and responsible bodies at the United Nations hear my voice and investigate and follow up on the status of my case."

Public executions are common in Iran, often carried out by hanging for political prisoners. Iran Human Rights Monitor described the sentence as urgent, calling for international intervention to overturn the verdict.

This sentencing follows the recent public executions of two men, Abdolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amir Hossein Safari Hosseinabadi, who were convicted of killing police officers during the nationwide protests. Amnesty International condemned these executions as an "escalation in the authorities' use of the death penalty to crush dissent," noting that at least 60 others, including three arrested as children, are at risk of execution. The organization stated that Iranian authorities are using executions and death sentences to suppress dissent and project an image of control.

Amnesty International reported that at least 26 individuals were arbitrarily executed after being convicted of offenses related to the January protests, following trials that were allegedly unfair and tainted by torture. An additional 26 people have been executed this year on charges such as espionage and membership in opposition groups.

The protests, which began due to Iran's economic crisis, evolved into calls for the overthrow of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The subsequent crackdown by the Islamic Republic has been described as the deadliest in its 47-year history. HRANA reported over 7,000 deaths and more than 50,000 arrests during the protests, while the government acknowledged over 3,000 deaths.