Homosexuality is a capital crime in Iran. In order to "justify" executing citizens because of their gender identity or sexual preferences, the Revolutionary Courts tend to accuse them of fabricated, secondary crimes as well. In the first week of September 2022, two women - the LGBT+ rights blogger Zahra Sedighi-Hamedani, 31, and Elham Chubdar, 24 - were sentenced to death in Urmia for "promoting homosexuality". The IRGC has accused them of running a trafficking ring in Erbil, with no evidence at all. At the time of writing 11,000 people had signed a petition calling for them to be freed.
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