Iran's Supreme Court has annulled the death sentence of Mohammad Ghabadloo, a protester who was arrested amid a crackdown on nationwide unrest last year.
Ghabadloo, 22, was sentenced to death on charges of "waging war against God" and "spreading corruption on earth" after an incident where he allegedly ran over a high-ranking police officer during protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody for an alleged hijab violation.
Ghabadloo's lawyer, Amir Reisian, said on Twitter that the case will be referred to a court, which will examine issues related to Ghabadloo's mental health.
"Waging war against God" and "corruption on Earth" are charges often leveled by Iran's judiciary in cases allegedly involving espionage or attempts to overthrow the government.
But with months of unrest over Amini's death in September 2022 for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly rattling the country, courts have taken to using the charge against protesters who have flooded the streets in mass demonstrations.
Ghabadloo suffers from a nervous disorder and appeared before a court headed by Judge Abolqasem Salavati of the Revolutionary Court in November.
The court proceedings were televised by state-run media, a tactic commonly employed by the government to help try to quell the protests. Critics have frequently labelled these so-called public courts as "staged" and marred by "forced confessions."
In a recent message from prison, Ghabadloo described his mental state by saying: "I feel the roughness of the noose around my neck every moment. I am always ready for them to call my name to solitary confinement."
Ghabadloo also reached out to the family of Farid Karampor, the special forces officer he was accused of killing, writing: "I never intended to kill anyone.... I never even saw his face."
The Twitter account Dadban, a platform providing free legal counsel to protesters and victims, shared a message stating, "Ghabadloo's case is full of contradictions."
It said the forensic medical report indicated that the police officer was killed as a result of being hit in the head with a hard object, "presumably in a skirmish and not a car accident."
It also confirmed a skirmish took place on the day of the officer's funeral, as per accounts given by police commanders.
Iranians have demonstrated across the country since Amini's death, with women and schoolgirls putting up unprecedented shows of defiance in what appears to be the biggest threat to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution.
In the face of mass protests around the country since Amini's death, the authorities have warned of harsher penalties for participants in the unrest.
Seven convicted protesters have already been executed and others are on death row after being handed death sentences.