Death Sentence Issued for Najma Amini, 23-Year-Old Student and December Protester
Najma Amini, a 23-year-old student and detainee from the December 2024 protests in Mashhad, has been sentenced to death and 12 years, 6 months, and one day in prison across two separate legal cases. She has been held in Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad for approximately eight months. In an audio message from prison, she called for fair trial proceedings and urged lawyers, the United Nations, and human rights organizations to review her case.
According to human rights reports, Najma Amini was sentenced to death by the Criminal Court One in Mashhad on charges of “insulting the prophet.” Reports indicate that her charge was initially listed as “insulting the imams” before being changed to “insulting the prophet.”
In another case, the First Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Mashhad sentenced her to 12 years, 6 months, and one day in prison on charges including acting against national security and propaganda against the system.
Amini announced in an audio message from Vakil Abad Prison that her death sentence has been issued and called on the United Nations, lawyers, activists, and human rights organizations to review her case.
After months of detention, rather than requesting clemency or sentence reduction, she has demanded what should be a fundamental right for any defendant: fair trial proceedings and the opportunity to mount a defense. Hrana has also reported that it was unable to independently confirm her claims about the death sentence being issued, though other human rights sources have published details of the verdict.
Najma Amini was detained on January 31, 2025, in the vicinity of Ferdowsi Passage in Mashhad during the nationwide December protests and was subsequently transferred to Vakil Abad Prison. Hrana previously reported that she was subjected to violence during her arrest and held in solitary confinement for approximately three months.
In earlier reports, serious charges including “moharebeh” (waging war against God), “collaboration with Israel,” “insulting the leadership,” and “insulting the prophet” were mentioned against her. However, all of these charges and case details cannot be independently verified by independent sources.
Najma Amini’s case has emerged in circumstances where numerous other detainees from the December protests have faced death sentences or charges that could lead to capital punishment. Reports published in August indicated that Amini was one of five detainees from the Mashhad protests and surrounding areas facing the risk of execution.
In a free society, protest, expression of opinion, and criticism should not come at the cost of human life. Even in cases involving serious charges, the presumption of innocence, the right to access to counsel, and the opportunity to mount a defense are the foundations of justice.
And from a Christian perspective, human life is not something that a government should use as a tool to silence voices; human dignity and the right to life are precious before any charge or political disagreement.
