--- title: "Humanists UK condemns death sentence for Iranian student over ‘blasphemous’ post" date: "2026-10-14T15:05:07+01:00" modified: "2026-10-14T17:06:49+01:00" url: "https://humanists.uk/2026/10/14/humanists-uk-condemns-death-sentence-for-iranian-student-over-blasphemous-post/" post_id: 199966 categories: ["News"] --- # Humanists UK condemns death sentence for Iranian student over ‘blasphemous’ post ![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/Dark-iran-flag.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&ssl=1)Najmeh Amini, a 23-year-old accounting student, has been [sentenced to death](https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/oct/14/najmeh-amini-blasphemy-death-sentence-insulting-prophet) in Iran for ‘insulting the prophet’ over a post on social media. Humanists UK has condemned the sentence and called for it to be overturned. Amini was arrested during the nationwide protests in January, which the Iranian authorities put down with a deadly crackdown. In a separate case, she was also sentenced to 12 years, six months, and one day in prison on charges including acting against national security and spreading propaganda against the state. Under Iran’s penal code, insulting the Prophet Muhammad is [punishable by death](https://end-blasphemy-laws.org/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/iran/). According to Iran Human Rights, nearly 600 people have been [executed in the country so far this year](https://iranhr.net/en/print/5/9018/). Death sentences for blasphemy are rarer. The last known executions for blasphemy took place in May 2023, when Yousef Mehrad and Sadrollah Fazeli-Zare were hanged over their activity on social media. The news comes a week after Anojan Sivarasa, a 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker, was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia over a comment on Facebook. Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has today [set aside the death sentence](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6x2v0vn7r1do). However, it is not clear if there will be further legal proceedings or whether Sivarasa will remain in detention, and for how long. Humanists UK has long raised Iran’s use of the death penalty for blasphemy and apostasy at the UN, and in 2022 [urged the UN Human Rights Council](https://humanists.uk/2022/03/18/humanists-uk-calls-for-iran-to-abolish-the-death-penalty-for-blasphemy-and-apostasy-at-un/) to keep up the pressure on Iran to abolish it. Humanists UK is a founding member of the [End Blasphemy Laws campaign](https://end-blasphemy-laws.org/). #### **Richy Thompson, Director of Human Rights and Advocacy, said:** > ‘Najmeh Amini is a young woman who faces execution for words she posted online. No one should be punished for what they say about religion, let alone put to death for it. This sentence is cruel, and it must be overturned. > > ‘Cases like Najmeh’s and Anojan Sivarasa’s show why blasphemy laws must go, wherever they remain. We urge the Foreign Secretary to press Iran to overturn death sentences imposed under its blasphemy laws, release those detained under them, and work towards the repeal of these unjust laws altogether.’ #### Notes For further comment or information, media should contact Humanists UK Head of Press and Campaign Communications Nathan Stilwell at or phone 0203 675 0959 (media only). Read our previous news item: ‘[Humanists UK at UN calls for Iran to abolish the death penalty for blasphemy and apostasy](https://humanists.uk/2022/03/18/humanists-uk-calls-for-iran-to-abolish-the-death-penalty-for-blasphemy-and-apostasy-at-un/)’. Read more about our work on [blasphemy laws](https://humanists.uk/campaigns/policy-unit/blasphemy-laws/). Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 150,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.