Iran sentences man to death over social media posts, lawyer and rights groups say

Iran sentenced Amirhossein Mousavi to death over his social media posts on X and Instagram under the account James B. Dean, his lawyer and rights groups said. He was convicted of 'Corruption on Earth' for online activity. Mousavi was arrested at Tehran airport in December 2024. Rights groups say the conviction is over 'online dissent' and that confessions were extracted under torture.

Iran's judiciary has sentenced Amirhossein Mousavi to death over his posts on X and Instagram under the account James B. Dean, his lawyer and rights groups said. Mousavi, 40, was arrested at Tehran airport in December 2024 and convicted of the capital charge of 'Corruption on Earth' for online activity. His lawyer Reza Shafakhah announced the sentence on X. Norway-based Iran Human Rights said the conviction was over 'online dissent.' US-based HRANA confirmed the sentence and noted the trial was presided over by judge Abolghasem Salavati, known for handing out execution verdicts. IHR said Mousavi was shown on Iranian state television in October 2025 making confessions that he later retracted, accusing authorities of torture. Iran has executed 36 men over the January 2026 protests and two over the 2022 protests since the war with the US and Israel.