23-year-old Iranian protester sentenced to death sends desperate plea from prison

Najmeh Amini, a 23-year-old accounting student, was condemned to death last week by a court in Mashhad after being detained for eight months in the notorious Vakilabad Prison. The charges include insulting the Supreme Leader and clashing with security forces, according to Iran Human Rights Monitor. A leaked voice recording from September 18 reveals Amini begging the public, lawyers and international bodies to amplify her voice and review her case.

Her sentencing comes amid a broader crackdown that has seen more than 7,000 protesters killed and thousands detained, with recent public executions of Abdolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amir Hossein Safari Hosseinabadi in Isfahan. Amnesty International and other rights groups have warned that the wave of death sentences aims to crush dissent and has drawn criticism for the lack of fair trials. The plea underscores the urgent call for global attention to Iran's use of capital punishment against political activists.