A 23-year-old Iranian accounting student, Najmeh Amini, has reportedly been sentenced to death after being convicted of allegedly insulting the Prophet in a social media post.
Amini was reportedly sentenced last month after spending eight months in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. In addition to the death sentence, she was handed a 12-year, six-month and one-day prison term for alleged offences including acting against national security and spreading anti-government propaganda. 
She was arrested on January 31 following nationwide anti-government protests in Iran. Human rights organisations have alleged that security forces killed thousands of people and arrested tens of thousands during the crackdown.
A leaked audio recording purportedly made from inside the prison has since emerged, in which Amini appealed to lawyers, human rights activists and international organisations to intervene in her case.
“I am an innocent girl, a young person with so many hopes and dreams. I have parents who are waiting for me,” she reportedly said.
“Remember my name; I may not be able to speak again,” she added, expressing hope that she would live to see a free Iran.
Iran Human Rights Monitor has called for urgent international intervention, alleging that Amini was arbitrarily detained and denied access to legal counsel.
Her reported death sentence comes amid renewed concerns over Iran’s use of capital punishment against people accused of offences connected to anti-government protests.
Amnesty International has also raised concerns over the prosecution of protesters in Iran, warning that dozens of people remain at risk of execution following trials it has described as unfair.
Rights groups have urged Iranian authorities to halt executions linked to protest-related cases and ensure defendants have access to fair trials and legal representation.
