"They were my voice": 23-year-old student sentenced to death in Iran - because of a post

Najmeh Amini, a 23-year-old accounting student from Iran, has been sentenced to death on charges of insulting the prophet following a social media post. She claimed she was under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms, but the judge rejected the explanation. The verdict has sparked calls for her rescue and warnings about the expanding use of the death penalty against regime opponents.

Najmeh Amini, a 23-year-old accounting student from Iran, has been sentenced to death on charges of "insulting the prophet" following a social media post. Amini, held in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, appealed to the UN and human rights organizations in a recording, asking for intervention. During the trial, she claimed she posted the content under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms. Judge Javad Asiyan Yazd rejected the explanation, asking why, in that state, she did not insult America and Israel. The Human Rights Organization in Iran criticized the rejection of the defense, noting that Iranian law exempts statements made under intoxication or as a slip of the tongue. The sentence is not final and can be appealed. This comes against a backdrop of a sharp rise in executions in Iran—more than 600 people have been executed this year. Organizations warn that the death penalty is being used to instill fear and suppress dissent.