The Supreme Court of Iran has overturned the death sentences of Mohammad-Reza Majidi-Asl and his wife, Bita Hemmati, who were detained during the January protests.
HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency) reported that the case of the two defendants has been referred to an equivalent branch of the court for retrial.
Alongside Behrouz Zamaninejad and Kourosh Zamaninejad, the couple had previously been sentenced to death by Judge Iman Afshari, head of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, on charges of “operational actions for the hostile government of the United States and hostile groups.”
According to the initial ruling, the four defendants had also each been sentenced to five years of discretionary imprisonment on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security,” with the confiscation of all their assets ordered as a supplementary punishment.
The initial verdict cited the grounds for the charges as “participating in protest gatherings on January 8 and 9,” “chanting protest slogans,” “throwing objects and incendiary materials from the roofs of buildings,” and “destroying public property.” It also referenced instances such as “the use of explosives and unidentified weapons,” “harming stationed forces,” and “sending content with the intent to undermine security,” though it provided no itemized details regarding the specific role of each defendant.
