In Iran, two LGBT activists have received death sentences, according to rights organizations.
Zahra Seddiqi Hamedani, 31, and Elham Choubdar, 24, were found guilty of “corruption on Earth” by a court in Urmia.
According to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, they have been charged of spreading Christianity, homosexuality, and contact with media that is critical of the Islamic Republic.
The convictions were later upheld by Iran’s judiciary, which clarified that they had to do with human trafficking rather than advocacy.
Her detention, according to Amnesty International, was “exclusively related to her real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as her social media posts and statements in defense of [LGBT] rights,” the organization previously referred to her as a “gender non-conforming human rights defender.”
She was reportedly detained by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) in October 2021 when she tried to enter Turkey to seek asylum, according to the article.
