Iran: Execution of woman who killed alleged attacker halted at last minute

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Descrier

Iran: Execution of woman who killed alleged attacker halted at last minute
By Descrier Staff on April 16, 2014 World

The execution of an Iranian woman charged with killing her alleged attacker has been halted at the last minute.

Rayhaneh Jabbari, 26, has spent seven years in jail and was scheduled to be hanged today for the stabbing and killing of Morteza Abdolali Sarbandi, a former employee of the Iranian Intelligence Ministry, in 2007.

Jabbari claims that Sarbandi drugged and attempted to rape her, and Iranian activists have pushed for her death sentence to be revoked with her actions those of self defence.

Jabbari’s case has also found a groundswell of support around the globe, with more than 140,000 people signing a petition to have her sentence revoked. United Nations special investigator on human rights, Ahmed Shaheed, also spoke out against her execution, claiming that she did not receive a fair trial.



Read more: http://descrier.co.uk/news/world/iran-execution-woman-killed-alleged-attacker-halted-last-minute/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=iran-execution-woman-killed-alleged-attacker-halted-last-minute

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Iran: Killer’s execution halted at last moment by victim’s mother
By Descrier Staff on April 17, 2014 World

An Iranian murderer sentenced to death with a noose already round his neck was given a last minute pardon by the victim’s mother.

Seven years ago Bilal, aged 20, stabbed and killed 18-year-old Abdollah Hosseinzadeh during a street brawl in the northern town of Royan. Six years later, Bilal was sentenced to death after a trial for murder.

As part of his hanging, a member Hosseinzadeh’s family were to push the chair away from Bilal’s feet, in an application of “qisas”, the Sharia law of retribution, according to the Guardian.

However, in a dramatic scene, with the noose already around Bilal’s neck, Hosseinzadeh’s mother came up to him and slapped him in the face and forgave him, removing his noose and sparing his life.

http://descrier.co.uk/news/world/iran-killers-execution-halted-last-moment-victims-mother/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=iran-killers-execution-halted-last-moment-victims-mother

[MADem]

1. WOW!

What a stunning turn of events in the latter story.

The pictures are riveting as well--the "moment of truth" where mother slaps the murderer of her son and is about to forgive him is nothing short of astounding. You see the mother of Bilal, the murderer, collapsing behind a crowd control barrier that looks like a cattle fence, the father sitting on a low wall with a cane, stunned, and later, after Abdullah's mother slaps Bilal, the family of Abdullah help to get the noose off of Bilal. Then you see the mother of Bilal kissing the feet of the mother of Abdullah and the family of the murderer thanking the members of Abdullah's family.


I can't help but notice that the rope on that noose, which this fellow escaped, looks rather well worn.

They hang a lot of people in Iran.

When there isn't any family members to extract "revenge" by removing the chair and causing the death, they will usually hang a person just before dawn and use a crane to do it. Very simple and very brutal, too.

http://isna.ir/fa/imageReport/93012610549/%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B4%D8%B4

[Android3.14]

2. Two incidents?

The person Iran was hanging in the first story is female, but in the second story, the person is a male. Are these two separate incidents?

[rpannier]

3. yes nt

[LiberalLovinLug]

4. on the first story

From the article: "Tehran did not give a reason for halting the execution and have not given any indication that her conviction was overturned. However, no future date for the execution has been disclosed."

It amounts to torture imprisoning her for 7 years already with the threat of herself being hanged anytime. Now its still not over if she is just sent back to her cell and imprisoned indefinitely with the noose still "hanging" over her head. And lord knows what kind of abuse she has already suffered in prison. She is already fucked up for life.

This is what religion does to people. Its sickening.

[happyslug]

6. So since Sharia Law, Islamic Law, permits families to forgive murders, you are against it?

Sorry, the thread had TWO execution, only the second is applying Islamic/Sharia law. Sharia Law permits a victim's family to accept money and/or other punishment other then death. Are you so in favor of the Death penalty that you oppose the right of families to reject the death penalty? In that second case the victim's family decided that the victim's mother slapping the murder of her son would be sufficient punishment and thus in accordance with Sharia Law and the Islamic Religion. You so dislike religion coming into play in such cases that you want the murder to be hanged, no matter what the Victim's Family wants? I am sorry, I have to reject that position.

[LiberalLovinLug]

8. What???

You are looking for a fight that isn't there. Unless by your inflections you are defending Islamic Sharia law. One that always takes the males point of view. One that condemns women because they "allowed" themselves to be raped. You seem to be questioning her story in a post further down as well.

I don't want anyone hanged. I am against the death penalty. It is barbaric. If the State endorses public murder, then what message does that say to its population? Its no wonder the USA has one of the most violent societies and has the highest incarceration rates.

But to your point, yes that is one good aspect of their laws - to allow the possibility of clemency if the offended family wants to forgive. Although I still wonder if the accused family has no money to pay the blood money ransom to the offended family if he or she would have any chance at freedom in that system.

My point was that it sounds like she was sentenced in a highly religiously charged environment, that never takes the woman's side, and so to say that perhaps she will one day get the same mercy as this other person after already suffering in an Iranian prison since she was 20, is hardly a defense of their religious based justice system. And so yes, overall, I am against Sharia Islamic Law, as much as I am against extremist old testament "Christian" inspired laws.

[happyslug]

9. I hate to say this, I suspect the trial Judge just did not believe her story of self defense.

I notice you did not address the issue of the location of the knife wound. In the REAR right shoulder. Even in the US, it is a positive defense to claim self defense, i.e. you have to show why it was self defense, you can NOT just merely claim it. Furthermore, the location of the knife wound makes it an open question if it was self defense.

Thus her conviction of Murder would be upheld even in US courts based on that evidence. Her best position now to to work out a settlement with her victim's family, which given her family appears to be in the works.

Under Sharia Law, it is the FAMILY of the Victim that decides the level of punishment not the State. The State has judges to determine who is guilty of what, but the ultimatum decision as to punishment is up to the family of the victim. I suspect the Courts have worked on the Victim's family to work out a settlement and thus the execution was halted. I suspect the families are close, if you truly want to prevent this execution you may want to send them money (through that maybe illegal under US sanctions against Iran).

[happyslug]

5. The Second story about the Execution of a 20 year old male, reminds me of George Washington

After Yorktown, the Revolution continued, and the US Army went unpaid. In response the Pennsylvania line decided to march on the Capital. This was stopped by Washington, but he had to address the complaints of the Soldiers. Anyway, that did NOT stop the problems with the Army, another unit revolted and Washington decided this time to sentences the Sergeants who lead the revolt to be hanged. At the handing, he issued a pardon to most of them, which was typical of that time period. Put the man in the noose and then issue the pardon so he would know how close he came to being hanged.

That is how the second hanging sounds like. Now, you must understand Sharia Law, the victim's family has the right not only to execute the murder BUT to accept some other form of punishment, including money. Sounds like that is what the families agreed to. The person who was to be hanged, had his family pay the victim's family, and the victim's family agreed NOT to execute the Murder. It was also probably agreed by bot families that the mother of the victim would slap the murder and that would substitute for their right to kill him. In many ways a better solution then ours, where the victim's family can testify what the punishment should be, but not accept money in place of jail time or execution.

[happyslug]

7. She stabbed him in the BACK of his right shoulder??

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4222/iran-jabbari-execution

Now, that does NOT exclude Self Defense, but it is a weird place for a knife wound during a rape, when the wound in made by the victim. Furthermore, she ran out of the house, right after the stabbing, as a room mate of the alleged rapists was entering the Apartment where the alleged raped attempt happened.

I am sorry, but the location of the wound is enough to support the finding of the court that it was murder not self defense. You and I may disagree with that decision, but those facts are enough to show murder. For that reason I can see why the Court did not believe her story. We can disagree on her guilt or innocence, but the placement of the wound makes it hard to show self defense.

On the way home, Morteza stopped his car in front of a pharmacy -- some are lacking condoms - then they went into the apartment and Morteza closed the door. After a while, Morteza approached her and wanted to have sex with her, he had already made some drinks containing sleeping drugs. Reyhaneh did not allow him to rape her, therefore he asked her several times to have sex with him but Reyhaneh did not allow it and was in total disagreement with him because Morteza was much older than her and she did not want to have any emotional or sexual relationship. During this time she got more nervous and anxious.

Completely afraid, she took a knife out of her bag and stabbed him in the back of his right shoulder. The apartment door was locked and there was no way to ask anyone for help. At this moment, Morteza's friend entered and Reyhaneh immediately went out, took the elevator and ran out of the building. Morteza, because of heavy bleeding, died.

Under Iranian law, if she could show self defense, that is permitted and she would walk free. On the other hand if it was a date that went sour and she stabbed the victim WITHOUT JUST CAUSE, then it is murder, even in the US.

I suspect people in Iran are trying to work out something between the two families. Remember under Iranian version of Islamic law, it is the Victim's family that can "pardon" the murder OR demand the actual execution of a murder. Thus any request for pardon should be aimed at the victim's family, which most of the cites I ran across do not even address.

The second murder sounds like a call for people to act like that victim's family did, i.e. lets solve this problem other then by executing someone.