Two prisoners in Arak sentenced to death for "insulting the Prophet"

The death sentences of two prisoners who are being held in Arak Prison on charges of "insulting the Prophet" have been announced.

According to Article 262 of the Islamic Penal Code, anyone who "insults or slanders the Prophet of Islam is blasphemy" and is sentenced to death.

The identity of one of the two prisoners, Yousef Mehrdad, from Ardabil, has been announced, and the identity of the other prisoner is unknown.

The trial of both prisoners was held in the first branch of the Arak Criminal Court, and the death sentences were delivered to the two prisoners in prison on Thursday, May 2nd.

Yousef Mehrdad, who was arrested in Ardabil on June 25 last year, has another case with charges such as "propaganda against the regime," "forming a group," and "insulting the founder of the revolution and the leadership." The hearing for that case is scheduled to be held on June 25 this year.

The Iranian government issues death sentences for charges such as "blasphemy" and "insulting the Prophet," even though the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights does not consider these violations to be serious crimes.

According to the latest report by Amnesty International, the Islamic Republic of Iran, with 246 executions in 2020, ranked second in the world after China.

Amnesty International has emphasized that this is the minimum number recorded in Iran and that the number of executions in Iran is likely to be higher.

Source: Radio Farda