Iranian authorities are preparing to execute Bita Hemmati, the first woman sentenced to death in connection with the mass protests that erupted in Tehran in late December and January. Hemmati and three other defendants, including her husband, were convicted by a Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges including operational action for a hostile foreign government and assembly and collusion against national security. A fifth defendant received a prison sentence.

Rights groups say the four individuals sentenced to death were arrested during demonstrations and subjected to torture and forced confessions. A rights center stated that broadcasting interrogations on state television represented a serious violation of the defendants' rights. Evidence cited by activists reportedly shows the verdict did not clearly detail how the accused were involved in the alleged crimes.

The judiciary accused the defendants of using explosives, harming security forces, destroying public property, and coordinating with hostile groups to undermine national security. No execution date has been announced. The case comes amid a sharp rise in executions in Iran, with hundreds carried out over the past year and additional death sentences issued against other protesters.