• Zahra Seddiqi Hamedani, 31, and Elham Choubdar, 24, were found guilty of “corruption on Earth”.
• Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Iran, and offenders face penalties.
• The convictions were later upheld by Iran’s judiciary.

In Iran, two LGBT activists have received death sentences, according to rights organisations. Zahra Seddiqi Hamedani, 31, and Elham Choubdar, 24, were found guilty of “corruption on Earth” by a court in Urmia.

According to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, they have been charged of spreading Christianity, homosexuality, and contact with media that is critical of the Islamic Republic.

The convictions were later upheld by Iran’s judiciary, which clarified that they had to do with human trafficking rather than advocacy.

According to the judiciary’s news outlet Mizan, “Contrary to the news published in cyberspace and the rumours that have been spread, these two individuals have been accused of deceiving women and young girls and trafficking them to one of the countries of the region.”

Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Iran, and offenders face penalties that range from public flogging to the death penalty.

According to Amnesty, the accusation of spreading Christianity was made because the individual was seen wearing a cross necklace and going to a house church in Iran at the time.

Iranian law prohibits non-recognized Christians, Zoroastrians, or Jews from publicly expressing their religion.

“I am journeying toward freedom now… If I don’t make it, I will have given my life for this cause.”

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