IRAN----female faces execution
URGENT ACTION APPEAL
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1 November 2005
UA 283/05 Fear of imminent execution
IRAN: Shahla Jahed (f), aged 35
Shahla Jahed is believed to be at imminent risk of execution,
after Iran's Supreme Court upheld her death sentence for
murdering her husband's first wife in 2002. She may have been
coerced into confessing to the murder.
Shahla Jahed was a ''temporary'' wife of Nasser Mohammad-
Khani, a former striker for the Iranian national football team and
former manager of a team in Tehran. According to press reports,
Shahla Jahed was originally sentenced to death by hanging in
2004 for stabbing to death Laleh Saharkhizan, Nasser
Mohammad-Khani's ''permanent'' wife. Under Iranian law, men
and women can have both ''permanent'' and ''temporary''
marriages. In a temporary marriage, men and women can
commit to be married for a certain period of time, after which the
marriage is null and void.
The prosecution reportedly claimed that Shahla Jahed had
murdered Laleh Saharkhizan out of jealousy. Nasser
Mohammad-Khani was himself initially suspected of complicity
in the murder and jailed for some months, but was reportedly
released.
Shahla Jahed is said to have confessed to the murder during the
initial investigation, but during her trial consistently upheld her
innocence. In December 2004, on being told of a previous
Supreme Court ruling in the case, Shahla Jared reportedly said,
''Everyone knows the conditions under which I confessed.''
Shahla Jahed's lawyer reportedly believes that Shahla Jahed's
case has not been properly investigated and is urging the Head of
the Judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, to order
a fresh enquiry.
Amnesty International is concerned that Shahla Jahed's
confession may have been made under duress. The organization
has recorded 67 executions in Iran so far this year, although the
true figure may be much higher.
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty as the ultimate
cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, in violation of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive
as quickly as possible:
- acknowledging that governments have a responsibility to bring
to justice those suspected of criminal offences, but stating your
unconditional opposition to the death penalty, as the ultimate
cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and violation of the
right to life;
- urging the authorities to stop the execution of Shahla Jahed and
to commute her death sentence immediately;
- expressing concern at reports that her lawyer has claimed that
the case was not properly investigated, and asking for details of
her trial, her appeal and her legal representation;
- calling for an investigation into allegations that Shahla Jahed
was coerced into confessing to the murder, with the results made
public and anyone found to be responsible brought to justice;
- reminding the authorities that confessions extracted under
duress are prohibited by Article 38 of the Constitution of Iran,
which says that ''All forms of torture for the purpose of
extracting confession or acquiring information are forbidden,''
and that Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), or which Article 7 states that
''No one shall be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading
punishment''.
APPEALS TO:
(It may be difficult to get through to Iranian fax numbers,
but please keep trying. If you are unable to get through,
please send appeals by email or by post)
Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 011 98 21 6 649 5880 (mark ''FAO the Office of His
Excellency, Ayatollah al Udhma Khamenei'')
Email: i...@wilayah.org OR i...@leader.ir
Salutation: Your Excellency
Head of the Judiciary
His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice
Park-e Shahr
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: ir...@iranjudiciary.org (mark ''Please forward to
His Excellency Ayatollah Shahroudi'')
Salutation: Your Excellency
Minister of the Interior
Hojatoleslam Mustafa Purmohammadi
Ministry of the Interior
Dr Fatemi Avenue
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: ravabetom...@moi.gov.ir
Fax: 011 98 21 8 896 203 / 8 899 547 / 6 650 203
COPIES TO:
Speaker of Parliament
Gholamali Haddad Adel
Majles-e Shoura-ye Eslami (Parliament)
Imam Khomeini Avenue
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 011 98 21 6 646 1746
Iran does not presently have an embassy in this country. Instead,
please send copies to:
Iranian Interests Section
2209 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington DC 20007
Phone: 202 965 4990
Fax: 202 965 1073
Please send appeals immediately. Check with the Colorado
office between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm, Mountain Time,
weekdays only, if sending appeals after December 13, 2005.
Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement that
promotes and defends human rights.
This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact, including
contact information and stop action date (if applicable). Thank
you for your help with this appeal.
Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
PO Box 1270
Nederland CO 80466-1270
Email: u...@aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 303 258 1170
Fax: 303 258 7881
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END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
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