Mahboubeh Shahbani urges help over Iran death sentence

Iranian prisoner Mahboubeh Shahbani has urged international action after being sentenced to death over protests earlier this year, in an audio recording shared by rights groups on Wednesday.

Shahbani, 33, spoke from Mashhad's Vakilabad prison after her lawyer informed her of the sentence on September 26, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights and the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, which shared the recording. The authenticity of the audio could not immediately be verified.

“The sentence handed down to me shows that many others are in danger of execution,” Shahbani said in the recording. “I call on everyone — the public, the UN, human rights organisations. Not just for me but for all the others whose sentences have been upheld.”

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said Shahbani was convicted of carrying out actions “to strengthen Israel, the US, and individuals affiliated with opposition groups” during the protests. Iran Human Rights said she had used her motorcycle to transport injured protesters and said she was moved to solitary confinement after making the call.

Iran's judiciary earlier announced the hanging in Mashhad of Ali Hemmati and Majid Nik-Andish on charges linked to the deaths of four members of the security forces during the protests.

Iran Human Rights said 31 men have been hanged in connection with the January protests since wartime executions resumed in March, and two more have been hanged in connection with 2022 protests. The Center for Human Rights in Iran said it believes nine women across Iran are at risk of execution on political and security charges.