Iran's Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty for a social activist.

The Supreme Court of Iranhas upheld the death sentence against Sharifeh Mohammadi, a women's and labor rights activist who is 45 years old, as well as the mother of a twelve-year-old child. The decision has caused a strong national and international reaction, as it is considered an emblematic case of repression against human rights defenders in Iran.

Mohammadi was arrested on December 5, 2023, at her home in the city of Rasht by agents of the Iranian regime. Since then, she has been held in solitary confinement and, according to reports, has been the victim of physical and psychological torture with the aim of forcing a confession. Iranian authorities accused her of "armed rebellion," a charge that her family and various labor organizations have categorically denied.

On July 4, 2024, the Revolutionary Court of Rasht sentenced her to death on those charges. However, on October 12, 2024, the Iranian Supreme Court (Section 39) overturned that sentence, citing lack of evidence, absence of links to armed activities, and serious judicial irregularities. The international community then celebrated what seemed to be a partial victory for justice.

But that hope quickly faded. On February 13, 2025, the case was returned to the Revolutionary Court of Rasht, where Judge Mohammad Ali Darvish Goftar, son of the original magistrate who issued the first sentence, again sentenced her to death, ignoring the deficiencies previously pointed out by the Supreme Court.

Finally, last Sunday, the same Supreme Court, this time in a final decision, ratified the new sentence, without addressing the legal concerns previously raised.

This pending execution has sparked protests both inside and outside the country. Eighty-five prisoners in the notorious Evin prison are on hunger strike in support of Mohammadi.

In early August, thirty-one international and regional human rights and women's rights organizations issued a joint statement condemning the sentence.

In their statement, they asserted that Mohammadi is a human rights defender who worked legally and peacefully for labor rights through a registered organization, and that she has been convicted on a "fabricated" charge.