Iran Sentences First Woman to Death for Role in Mass Protests
Iranian authorities are preparing to execute Bita Hemmati, marking the first death sentence issued to a woman connected to the mass protests in Tehran during late December and January. Hemmati, along with three men, was sentenced to death by Judge Iman Afshari of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges including collusion with hostile governments and acting against national security. A fifth defendant received a prison term. Human rights organizations, including the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran, assert that the defendants were subjected to torture and forced to confess during secretive proceedings. These coerced confessions were allegedly broadcast on state television, a practice condemned by the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center as a blatant violation of legal rights. While the judiciary accuses the group of using explosives and harming security forces, advocates claim the verdict lacks specific evidence of their involvement. This development occurs amidst a significant surge in capital punishment in Iran, with over 1,600 executions reported in the past year. No specific execution date has been announced yet, but the case highlights the regime's harsh crackdown on dissent and procedural irregularities within its judicial system.
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Iran Sentences First Woman to Death for Role in Mass Protests
Iranian authorities are preparing to execute Bita Hemmati, marking the first death sentence issued to a woman connected to the mass protests in Tehran during late December and January. Hemmati, along with three men, was sentenced to death by Judge Iman Afshari of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges including collusion with hostile governments and acting against national security. A fifth defendant received a prison term. Human rights organizations, including the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran, assert that the defendants were subjected to torture and forced to confess during secretive proceedings. These coerced confessions were allegedly broadcast on state television, a practice condemned by the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center as a blatant violation of legal rights. While the judiciary accuses the group of using explosives and harming security forces, advocates claim the verdict lacks specific evidence of their involvement. This development occurs amidst a significant surge in capital punishment in Iran, with over 1,600 executions reported in the past year. No specific execution date has been announced yet, but the case highlights the regime's harsh crackdown on dissent and procedural irregularities within its judicial system.
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