21 September 2024 :
September 20, 2024 - IRAN. Mohammad-Javad Vafaie Thani Sentenced to Death for the Third Time
After a Retrial
Seyed Mohammad-Javad Vafaie Thani, a political prisoner detained in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, has been sentenced to death for the third time by the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad. Vafaie Thani had previously been handed two death sentences by different branches of the Revolutionary Court, both of which were overturned by the Supreme Court, leading to a retrial in a parallel branch.
Babak Paknia, Vafaie Thani’s defense attorney, revealed in a social media post that a majority of the judges, rejecting the Supreme Court’s arguments, sentenced him to death once again on charges of “spreading corruption on earth.” The ruling remains subject to appeal.
Mohammad-Javad Vafaie, a 28-year-old boxing coach, was arrested in Mashhad in March 2020 and has been imprisoned since. His initial death sentence was based on charges of “corruption on earth through deliberate acts of destruction.” However, this ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court. Following a retrial, he was again sentenced to death, but this second sentence was also overturned in June 2023, and the case was referred to another court. Although the court set a substantial bail for his temporary release, he has remained in detention due to his inability to post bail.
