Islamic scholar condemns Iran’s outdated legal system

Sedigheh Vasmaghi, an Islamic scholar and religious researcher, has criticized Iran's use of archaic legal terms to issue death sentences for protesters.

In a recent audio statement, she said, "The lives of thousands in the Islamic Republic are threatened by terms like 'moharebeh' (waging war against God) and 'ifsad fil-arz' (corruption on earth), which are irrelevant in today's world."

Vasmaghi, who was released from Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison in April, described how the Iranian judiciary exploits vague charges to suppress dissent and protect the government’s interests.

"Thousands have been executed or sentenced to death under the guise of implementing Shia jurisprudence and Islamic law. However, the current usage of these terms and the practices of the Islamic Republic have no historical basis in Islam," she noted.

Amnesty International reported in April that 853 people were executed in Iran in 2023, marking a record high in the last eight years.

She further criticized the Iranian judiciary's exploitation of vague charges like “propaganda against the system” and “gathering and conspiring against national security”, used to suppress dissent and protect the government's interests.

After being imprisoned in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, Vasmaghi's health severely deteriorated, resulting in her release. She lost her sight and suffered life-threatening heart issues due to the harsh conditions of her imprisonment.

Her arrest in March was for criticizing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whom she labeled a dictator, and for condemning the compulsory hijab laws.

Before her release, Vasmaghi wrote to the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission and international human rights organizations detailing the personal abuses and systemic oppression she faced in Iran, particularly targeting women.

In her appeal, Vasmaghi stressed the need to liberate Iranian women from oppressive hijab laws, stating that religious women are not required to cover their hair under Islamic Sharia according to her research.

"Many Iranian women have opposed the mandatory hijab law for decades," she noted, adding that she had removed her headscarf in protest against the oppression of women.

The mandatory hijab has been a focal point in the Women, Life, Freedom movement, which gained momentum after the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police in 2022.

Vasmaghi’s arrest on March 16 occurred while attending the funeral of 16-year-old Armita Geravand, also killed by hijab-enforcement agents in Tehran.