A 30-year-old blogger and photographer has been sentenced to death in Iran for "insulting the prophet of Islam" on Facebook, drawing renewed attention to the country's notorious human rights record.
The man, Soheil Arabi, was convicted in a Tehran criminal court in August after admitting to posting the defamatory content. His lawyers argued that he had done so while "in poor psychological condition," according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, and that he was merely sharing views held by others.
But Iran's Supreme Court upheld the conviction late last month and went a step further by adding a charge of "sowing corruption of Earth." This charge is also punishable by death and cannot be pardoned, according to Arabi's lawyer. [The Verge] Read more
