Iran overturns death sentence for woman labor activist

Iran’s highest court has overturned the death sentence of a woman labor rights activist who was accused of links to an outlawed Kurdish group, local media reported Saturday.

“The Supreme Court… has overturned the verdict against my client, Ms Sharifeh Mohammadi,” her lawyer Amir Raisian was quoted as saying by the reformist Shargh daily.

He added that the case was referred for a re-trial.

Iran carries out the highest number of executions annually after China, according to rights groups including Amnesty International.

Mohammadi, 45, was sentenced to death in early July following her arrest in the northern city of Rasht, according to rights groups.

She has since been accused of being a member of the Komala party, an exiled Iraq-based Kurdish separatist group that Tehran considers to be a terrorist organization.

Tehran accused Kurdish groups in Iraq of fomenting months-long nationwide mass protests triggered by the September 2022 death in custody of Mahsa Amini.

Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died following her arrest over an alleged violation of the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for women.

The Islamic Republic uses capital punishment for major crimes including terror convictions, murder and drug trafficking, as well as rape and sexual assault.