An Iranian mother of two has been sentenced to death by hanging after she was accused of involvement in the burning of a retail store during the anti-regime protests in January. Get the latest updates on our WhatsApp channel.
The woman, identified as Leila Abolhasani, was among thousands of people arrested during the protests. She was charged with Moharebeh, a term under Iranian law that refers to “waging war against God” or “enmity against God.”
Abolhasani was arrested on January 8 in the Iranian satellite city of Shahin Shahr after taking photos of a fire at an Ofogh Koorosh grocery store.
Iranian authorities accused her of being involved in setting the store on fire, an offence that can carry the death penalty under the country’s legal system.
However, Abolhasani’s family has strongly disputed the accusation, insisting that she did not participate in starting the fire and had only filmed what was happening at the scene.
Details about the evidence allegedly linking her to the fire, the conduct of her trial and the nature of her legal defence have not been made public.
Following her arrest, Abolhasani was held at Dowlatabad Prison in Isfahan.
In late May, she was sentenced to death by Vahid Hemmatnejad, the presiding judge of Branch 5 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court. The court ordered that she be executed by hanging.
Abolhasani appealed the verdict, and her case was subsequently transferred to Iran’s Supreme Court for review. According to IranWire, the Supreme Court is examining her appeal.
The case has drawn further attention because Abolhasani’s family maintains that her involvement was limited to documenting the fire.
An Iranian refugee who spoke to NewsNation described the planned execution as another warning to people who oppose the country’s leadership.
“She (Abolhasani) was arrested for documenting what was happening and was sentenced to death,” the refugee told the outlet.
“Her work could have been very effective in showing the world how brutal and savage the regime is, and they do not want the world to see the truth.
The refugee asserted that the regime wants to “create fear among the people so that anyone who might consider revealing the truth will be too afraid to do so.”
“They want people to remain silent and to keep the truth hidden forever.”
“That is why they are trying to execute her. They want her case to serve as a lesson to anyone who tries to speak the truth about the regime,” the refugee added.