Paris (France) (AFP) - An Iranian woman who was sentenced to death for participating in protests early this year appealed to the international community to save her life and the lives of others facing the death penalty, according to an audio message from prison published by human rights organizations on Wednesday.

Published on: 09/30/2026 - 16:30

The call of Mahbooba Shahbani, 33, came from her prison in the city of Mashhad in eastern Iran, while the authorities executed two other men on charges related to the mass protests that reached their peak in the country at the beginning of this year.

Human rights organizations accuse Iran of escalating the executions of prominent prisoners in an attempt to intimidate the population and ensure that the protests that preceded the outbreak of the American-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic at the end of February will not be repeated.

“The sentence issued against me shows that many others are at risk of execution,” Shahbani said in a phone call to prisoners in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, after her lawyer informed her of the death sentence on September 26.

She added in the call, an audio recording of which was published by the "Iran Human Rights" (IHR) organization, based in Norway, and the "Center for Human Rights in Iran" (CHRI), based in the United States, "I am not worried about myself, but rather I am worried about others whose rule I support."

The authenticity of the message could not be immediately verified. The call included an automated voice saying that the caller was a prisoner, which is standard practice in calls from Iranian prisons.

Shahbani said in the call attributed to her, “I address my appeal to everyone, public opinion, the United Nations, and human rights organizations. Not only for me, but for all the others whose sentences were upheld and who spent months sleeping in fear and anxiety,” adding, “I appeal to them to do something.”

"I appeal to everyone"

According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana), Shahbani was convicted of carrying out actions “to strengthen Israel, the United States, and individuals associated with opposition groups” during the protests.

But Iran Human Rights said that Shahbani only used her motorcycle to transport injured protesters. She added that she was transferred to solitary confinement after making the call from prison.

Shahbani said in her message, “Conditions are very bad for the prisoners given the pressure they are putting on us. I appeal to everyone to do what they can.”

The Iranian judiciary had previously announced the execution of Ali Hemmati and Majeed Nik-Andesh by hanging in Mashhad on charges related to the killing of four members of the security forces in protests.

According to Iran Human Rights, since wartime executions resumed in March, 31 people, all men, have been hanged in connection with the January protests, and two more in connection with the 2022 protests. Dozens face the risk of execution.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran said that nine women across Iran face the risk of execution on political and security charges.

In April, US President Donald Trump republished a message on the X platform from a young pro-Israel activist in the United States, stating that eight women were facing execution by hanging, and the US President urged the Iranian authorities to pardon them.

Shahbani was one of the women mentioned in the post, knowing that some of them were later released or no longer face the risk of execution.

© 2026 AFP

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