A young Iranian couple have been sentenced to over ten years in prison for innocently dancing in the street.
The blogger couple were prosecuted for dancing in Freedom Square.
Astiyazh Haghighi and Amir Mohammad Ahmadi were each sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison, for "corruption on earth and incitement to prostitution."
According to sources, Haghighi, 21, and Ahmadi, 22, danced to support continuous protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini.
Iranians are demanding the overthrow of Iran's clerical rulers following the tragic death of Ms Amini, 22, who died in police custody.
Ms Amini was arrested for so-called improper dress as her hair was not properly covered and then later died in police custody.
Women have been taking to the streets in protest of the compulsory hijab law and in solidarity with Ms Amini.
Haghigi and Ahmadi were reportedly arrested on 10 November last year and as well as the prison term, a two-year ban has been imposed on the couple for using cyberspace and a two-year ban on leaving Iran for dancing on the street.
They have also been charged with “colluding with the intention of disrupting national security and promoting propaganda.”
Three Iranian men now face the death penalty in connection with the protests and reports say they have been brutally tortured.
A new report by Amnesty International raises deep concerns about the country’s judicial system and alleges they were subject to torture including rape and beatings.
The report says Mehdi Mohammadifard was raped by prison guards and severely beaten, he suffered anal injuries and rectal bleeding that required treatment in a hospital outside the prison where he was being held.
Mr Mohammadifard was sentenced to death alongside Arshia Takdastan, 18 and Javad Rouhi, 31. All three are convicted on charges including “corruption on Earth” and “enmity against God."
Amnesty said it had obtained information that Rouhi was subjected to severe beatings and floggings, including on the soles of his feet and while being tied to a pole, and that ice had been placed on his testicles.
A British-Iranian dual national who had previously held a senior position in the Iranian government was executed two weeks ago, despite desperate pleas from the British government for his release.
Alireza Akbari was arrested in 2019 and convicted of spying for the UK, which he and his family strongly denied.
The UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, called it a “cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime with no respect for the human rights of their own people”.
