Iranian Student Sentenced to Death for Blasphemy Post

Human rights groups are alarmed after reports that Najmeh Amini, a 23-year-old accounting student in Iran, has been sentenced to death. She is being held at Vakilabad prison near Mashhad and faces execution alongside an additional sentence of over 12 years for separate charges including acting against national security. Authorities cite her social media posts as insulting the prophet under the charge of sab ol-nabi, though she claims in court that she made them while hallucinating after taking psychedelic mushrooms with friends. Amini was arrested during January's nationwide protests and has since appealed to international bodies like the UN for intervention. While the death penalty remains subject to appeal at Iran's Supreme Court, human rights organizations warn this case risks expanding capital punishment against peaceful online expression.