Najmeh Amini, a 23-year-old accounting student, has been pronounced guilty of alleged blasphemy over a social media post and given the death penalty in Iran. On 3rd February, she was taken into custody in Mashhad “following monitoring by FATA (Cyber Police) experts aimed at tackling cybercrime, on charges of making highly vulgar and offensive insults against the Infallible Imams.” She is held in Vakil Abad Central Prison. The sentence was delivered on 16th September.
Najmeh was convicted of sabol-nabi and handed down the capital punishment. Her statutory defences of a slip of the tongue and intoxication-induced absence of motive were dismissed by the trial court. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court has not yet upheld the judgement, which continues to be open to appellate review.
In August, she was brought before the Mashhad Revolutionary Court and slapped with multiple charges, including moharebeh (enmity against God), sabol-nabi (insulting the prophet), working with a hostile state (Israel), disparaging the Supreme Leader and clashing with security and state personnel. According to Iran’s Islamic legal law, moharebeh and sabol-nabi carry the death penalty.
According to other reports, Najmeh was apprehended during the brutal crackdown on protesters during the nationwide agitation in January. Over 50,000 individuals were arrested, and thousands were reported dead during the nationwide demonstrations.
Najmeh was found guilty of acting against national security and disseminating propaganda against the Islamist regime in a separate case. Hence, she has also been sentenced to 12 years, six months, and one day behind bars. Iran Human Rights Monitor stated that she was severely beaten and also spent about three months in isolation in the security ward of the prison.
It added that for eight months, she was denied the fundamental rights that prisoners have access to and had to live in administrative and legal limbo. Najmeh has made an appeal for international intervention in an audio clip that was made public last month and was credited to her. She requested the United Nations, lawyers and human rights organisations to look into her case.
“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,” she submitted.
Najmeh added, “Remember my name; I may not be able to speak again. But as long as I am alive, I hold one hope: that before the rope marks the end of my life, I see my prosperous and free Iran.” Notably, more than 600 executions have already taken place this year, according to the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO).
The issue has come to light as Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court overturned the death sentence imposed on Anojan Sivarasa, a 24-year-old Hindu from Sri Lanka, who was convicted in an alleged blasphemy case.
