Mahboubeh Shahbani, an Iranian woman sentenced to death, made a public appeal asking for international assistance, addressing the general public, the UN, and human rights organizations. She expressed that her plea was not just for herself, but for all those who have been living in fear for months.
Shahbani's audio message, which gained notoriety among international agencies, was recorded during a call to her family while she was detained at the Vakilabad prison, located in Mashhad, eastern Iran. This audio was subsequently shared by several non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Shahbani, 33 years old, requested action from the parties involved. Her message was disseminated by Iran Human Rights (IHR), based in Norway, and the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), headquartered in the United States. She recorded this message after being notified by her lawyer on September 26th about her capital conviction.
Although the authenticity of the audio has not been independently verified, an automated voice typical of calls from Iranian prisons suggests that the caller is an inmate.
According to the Human Rights Activists (HRANA) agency, also based in North America, Shahbani was found guilty of acts intended to 'strengthen Israel, the United States, and people linked to opposition groups' during protests that occurred in January. However, IHR reported that the woman was merely transporting injured protesters on her motorcycle during these demonstrations.
After making the call to her family, Shahbani was placed in isolation, according to IHR. Human rights organizations criticize Iranian authorities for promoting executions with the aim of intimidating the population and preventing the recurrence of the anti-government demonstrations of January.
These protests took place a few weeks before the offensive led by Israel and the United States against Iran, an event that triggered the Middle East war on February 28th. Iran recently announced the execution of two men accused of involvement in the deaths of four security forces members during the winter period.
IHR reports that since March 19th, at least 33 protesters have been executed for crimes related to the January protests or the 2022 demonstrations. The 2022 protests originated from the death, while in custody, of a young woman detained in Tehran for allegedly violating the dress code imposed on Iranian women.
Currently, the Center for Human Rights in Iran monitors nine women who are at risk of execution in the country due to accusations related to security and political issues.