A mother sentenced to death in Iran after taking part in the January protests

Leila Abolhasani, 43 years old, an esthetician and mother of two teenage girls, faces execution in Iran after being sentenced to death for "enmity against God," one of the most serious charges provided for under the law of the Islamic Republic. Originally from Shahin Shahr, north of Isfahan, this woman, previously unknown to the general public, had been arrested on January 8, during the protests that were shaking several Iranian cities at the time. According to a source close to her family cited by the HRANA agency, Leila Abolhasani was near a branch of the Ofogh Kourosh supermarket chain that had caught fire and reportedly took out her phone to film the scene. The Iranian authorities, on the other hand, accuse her of participating in the arson of the store. Since her arrest, she has been detained at Dowlatabad Prison in Isfahan. Her case was reviewed at the end of May by the fifth chamber of the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan. The court found her guilty of “moharebeh,” literally “war against God” or “enmity against God,” for arson and destruction of public property. This charge can carry the death penalty. What more can be done, six months on from the Iran War? Several grey areas, however, surround the procedure. Neither the complete judgment nor the evidence used against her has been made public. No available account reports that she had a weapon, whereas the Iranian Penal Code notably defines moharebeh as brandishing a weapon or acting in a way that spreads fear and insecurity among the population. Leila Abolhasani’s relatives state that she was merely documenting a fire that was already in progress. They reject any involvement in the violence. Human rights organizations also emphasize that she was not able to freely choose her lawyer during the investigation phase, due to the restrictions imposed on cases considered sensitive. The case is now before the Iranian Supreme Court, which must review the appeal of the accused. If the conviction is upheld, Leila Abolhasani could be executed. Suggested articles Iranian man executed for his participation in the January protests | i24NEWS UN warns Iran has executed at least 56 people since March | i24NEWS Iran executes man convicted of setting fire to public property during January unrest | i24NEWS