In an unexpected move, Iran’s Supreme Court has called for a retrial in the case of labor rights activist Sharifeh Mohammadi, who had previously been sentenced to death on charges of treason. This decision suspends her death sentence while the legal proceedings are revisited. Local media, who spoke to her lawyer, reported the development on Saturday, offering a temporary reprieve for the activist in question.
Previously, Mohammadi’s conviction stemmed from her alleged association with the National Labor Unions Assistance Coordination Committee (LUACC). Despite this organization being a legally recognized labor union in Iran, her supposed affiliation was used to bolster the Revolutionary Court’s decision. However, Mohammadi has consistently denied these claims, asserting she had not been a member for a decade (Iran Human Rights).
Iran is a member of the International Labor Organization and is also a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Consequently, it is internationally bound to uphold the rights to form trade unions and to strike.
Initially detained in December 2023, Mohammadi was accused of “armed rebellion against the state” due to her alleged involvement with the banned Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KPIK). She has vigorously denied any affiliation with KPIK. Rights groups, such as the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), contend that the Revolutionary Court leverages national security charges to suppress peaceful dissidents. Indeed, the court’s jurisdiction, governed by Article 303 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, encompasses a wide array of political offenses (Revolutionary Court Jurisdiction).
The backdrop of Mohammadi’s case is an intensifying wave of executions within the country. HRANA reported at least 811 individuals faced execution from October 2023 to October 2024, prompting hunger strikes and protests across numerous prisons (Deutsche Welle). In addition, human rights defenders like Nasrin Sotoudeh have engaged in hunger strikes to protest Mohammadi’s initial death sentence, emphasizing the growing national and international concern over Iran’s judicial practices.