Iran has awarded death sentence to two female gay rights activists for “promoting homosexuality”.
Hengaw, a Kurdish human rights organisation said, Zahra Sediqi Hamedani, known as “Sara”, 31, and Elham Chubdar, 24, were sentenced to death for “corruption on Earth.”
Both the women were convicted of “promoting homosexuality”, and “promoting Christianity” and “communicating with the media against the Islamic Republic”, in January this year.
Zahra and Elham are being held in the women’s ward of Urmia Central Prison, reported the human rights organisation.
Zahra, from Naqadeh, West Azerbaijan Province in Iran, was first arrested while trying to cross into Turkey to claim asylum in October last year. She was then held in solitary confinement for 53 days, it has been reported.
During this period, she was insulted for her identity and appearance, threatened with death, and told her children would be taken away from her by security agents from the Revolutionary Guard, it is alleged.
