Iran sentences two women to death, rights groups say

Rights groups said Iranian courts have sentenced two women to death in separate cases linked to anti-government protests in Isfahan in January.

The Norway-based Hengaw group and the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said Monday that Taraneh Rahimi, 20, was sentenced to death with nine men over incidents in an Isfahan square where two people were killed, including a member of the security forces. HRANA said other defendants in the case received prison terms of up to 36 years, including Rahimi's sister Romina.

HRANA said defence lawyers did not have access to much of the case file and objected that they had not been given enough time to review documents and evidence.

Dadban, a legal affairs monitor, and HRANA said Leila Abolhasani, a 43-year-old mother of two teenagers, was convicted in Isfahan of setting fire to a store during the protests and sentenced to death on a charge of “waging war against God.” The groups said her relatives denied the accusation and said she had only been at the scene filming the burning store.

Abolhasani's case has been sent to Iran's Supreme Court for review, the groups said.

Norway-based Iran Human Rights says Iran has executed 29 men on charges linked to the January demonstrations. It says no woman has yet been executed over that unrest, although Iran has hanged at least 16 women this year on other charges.