A 33 year old Iranian blogger, Soda Ebrahimi Shamsabadi, has reportedly been sentenced to death after being convicted on a series of security related charges, including insulting Iran's Supreme Leader and engaging in activities authorities deemed threatening to national security.

According to Iran International, Branch 3 of the Bandar Abbas Revolutionary Court convicted Shamsabadi on charges that included insulting the Supreme Leader, media and propaganda activities against national security and alleged intelligence and security activities on behalf of hostile governments.

She was also accused of photographing a location where a missile had struck and sending the image to a Persian language media organisation outside Iran.

Her lawyer was reportedly notified of the death sentence on August 23.

HELD SINCE MARCH

Shamsabadi, who was raised in Tehran and lived in Bandar Abbas, has reportedly been detained since March.

According to information obtained by Iran International, she spent 20 days in solitary confinement and faced intense pressure during interrogation.

Her family was reportedly not informed about her location or condition during that period.

In addition to the death sentence, the court reportedly imposed prison terms ranging from two to five years, restricted her access to certain government services and ordered the confiscation of property.

BLOGGER HAD WRITTEN ABOUT PROTEST CRACKDOWN

Shamsabadi had used social media to discuss political developments and violence surrounding protests in Iran.

In posts published during the January unrest, she wrote about killings and alleged abuses, arguing that photographs, videos, documents and eyewitness accounts existed to document what had happened.

Her final Instagram post was reportedly published on February 23, shortly before her detention.

In the post, she suggested that if she died, her followers should remember that she had chosen the path she believed in.

CONCERNS OVER RISING EXECUTIONS IN IRAN

Shamsabadi's case comes amid growing international concern over Iran's use of capital punishment, particularly in cases involving protesters and political detainees.

Iran Human Rights has reported that at least 29 people arrested in connection with the January 2026 protests had been executed since March 19.

The US based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center separately reported that it had documented 950 executions in Iran since the beginning of 2026 as of August, including women and protesters.

United Nations human rights officials have also criticised Iran's increasing use of capital punishment, warning that executions are being used to instil fear and suppress dissent.

Shamsabadi's reported sentence adds to international scrutiny of Iran's treatment of political detainees and people accused of challenging the country's leadership.