Despite the fact that two weeks ago the general court of Rasht, in northeastern Iran, released Soghra -- a young girl who was sentenced to death at the age of 13 and had spent the past18 years on Iran’s death row --  from prison on bail, the decedent’s parents have filed a legal request to carry out Soghra’s order of execution.

Soghra, who is now 31 years old, has spent the past 18 years of her life in jail.  When she was only 9 years old, Soghra was sent to work as a maid in a home in Iran’s affluent sea-side city of Rasht.  She has been accused of causing the death of her employers’ 8 year old son when she was only 13 years old herself. 

18 years ago, when Soghra first appeared in Rasht’s criminal court, she stood before the judge and claimed responsibility for the murder of 8 year old Amir.  In court, Soghra stated:  “From the age of 9, I worked in the home of Amir and his family, and I was 13 at the time of the incident.  I was jealous of Amir.  So, at first, I slammed his head against the wall and then I threw him into a well.  When Amir went missing, his mother started looking for him, and, ultimately, police investigators retrieved his body from the well.”

However, Soghra’s confession was contradicted by other evidence in the case, which raised serious doubts about the truthfulness of the young girl’s confession.  Most significantly, physical and trace evidence suggested that Soghra was not telling the truth about Amir’s murder, and that the person who had in fact killed the young boy was someone other than Soghra.  None the less, the trial judge sentenced the 13 year old to death.

Soon thereafter, Soghra recanted, stating that she is not the one who murdered Amir.  None the less, the judge reaffirmed Soghra’s death sentence, and Soghra was prepared for execution.

Almost 5 years after her arrest, when Soghra was only 17 years old, she was suddenly and unexpectedly transferred to solitary confinement, where she was kept until she would be executed before dawn of the following day.  Yet, Soghra escaped execution when Amir’s mother could not bring herself to witness Soghra’s execution, and had requested that the execution be postponed until a later time. 

Subsequently, Amir’s family took no steps to carry out Soghra’s death sentence.  Accordingly, two weeks ago, Soghra, who is now 31 years old, was released from jail on bail.  After reviewing the materials and evidence in Soghra’s case,  Judge Taimoori, head of Rasht’s criminal court, approved Soghra’s release on $6,000 bond.

Unfortunately, Soghra’s joy and freedom did not last long.  When Amir’s parents learned of Soghra’s freedom, they immediately filed motions with the court, requesting that the court ensure Soghra’s execution. 

In an interview with our reporter yesterday, Judge Taimoori, who is now overseeing Soghra’s case, stated:  “The family’s request to execute Soghra has [legal] significance and is a factor that should be considered by those who are legally responsible to carry out the execution.  However, while we must consider [the family’s request], the age of this girl at the time of the alleged crime, as well as other issues, are exculpatory factors.”

In response to whether Soghra can challenge her sentence, Judge Taimoori explained:  “The sentence was issued 18 years ago, and legally, she is barred from having a new trial.  However, if Soghra’s counsel files such a request with the head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi can use his discretion to commute the sentence.”

With respect to whether it is possible to carry out the execution, Judge Taimoori noted:  “Judiciary officials have started the process to obtain the pardon of the decedent’s family, however, unfortunately, until the family issues a pardon or a retrial is granted, execution continues to be a possibility.”

Soghra, who spent 18 of the best years of her life in prison, used that time to learn how to read and write, and she intends to recapture all that she has lost during the years that she has spent behind bars.  However, until either Iran’s head of judiciary, Ayatollah Shahroudi, issues a formal decree to commute Soghra’s sentence or the decedent’s parents grant a pardon, the shadow of the noose follows Soghra wherever she goes, even as her lawyer continues the effort to save her from execution. 

The Untold Aspects of Soghra’s Case

Confidential information of Soghra’s case reveal that once she began working as a maid for the family of the decedent, she was subjected to sexual abuse and was repeatedly raped by Amir’s father.  On the day of the incident, Amir’s father had once again attacked Soghra and was raping the 13 year old when his 8 year old son, Amir, walked in and witnessed the crime.  In an attempt to get rid of him, Amir’s father pushed the young boy away, and that is how young Amir hit his head to the wall, fell to the ground, and lost consciousness.  Soghra’s employer then forced Soghra to dispose the boy’s body in a well because he could not bring himself to do so. 

Soghra’s claims of sexual abuse were corroborated by the medical examiner, who, in his report to the court, stated that the young girl’s body bore countless signs of prolonged violent sexual abuse. Furthermore, the investigators had determined that Amir’s father was, in fact, the man who had subjected Soghra to years of sexual and mental abuse. 

When the trial judge reviewed this evidence,  he ordered Soghra to receive 100 lashes for having engaged in inappropriate sexual relations, but refused to find Amir’s father guilty of rape.  The judge explained that Soghra was guilty of inappropriate sexual behavior because the medical records clearly indicated that she had engaged in sexual activity.  However, no such evidence was available to prove that Amir’s father was the man who had had sex with the young girl. 

And now, the man who sexually abused Soghra from the time she was 9 years old, the very man who is responsible for confining Soghra to the horrors of life in prison for the past 18 years, the man who forced a 13 year old child to take responsibility for a crime that he himself committed, seeks to take away whatever is left of Soghra and her life by ensuring that she is hanged to her death.   

After all, what better way to ensure that the truth about his demonic actions are never fully revealed than by silencing yet another one of his victims by ending her life?

Farsi   فارسی

TAKE ACTION:   http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa27107.pdf 

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, Arabic, English or your own language:
- calling on the Head of the Judiciary to urge the Supreme Court to review the procedures in the case of Soghra Najafpour, including the manner of the interrogation, which led to her initial conviction;
- expressing concern that, if she were to be taken into custody, Soghra Najafpour would be at risk of execution for a crime committed when she was under 18;
- calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately halt any efforts to proceed with the execution of Soghra Najafpour;
- calling for the death sentence against Soghra Najafpour to be commuted;
- reminding the authorities that Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibit the use of the death penalty against people convicted of crimes committed when they were under 18, and that the execution of Soghra Najafpour would therefore be a violation of international law;
- urging the authorities to pass legislation to abolish the death penalty for offences committed by anyone under the age of 18, so as to bring Iran’s domestic law into line with its obligations under international law;
- stating that Amnesty International acknowledges the right and responsibility of governments to bring to justice those suspected of criminal offences, but unconditionally opposes the death penalty.

APPEALS TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street - Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@leader.ir
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice Building, Panzdah-Khordad Square,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES TO:

Speaker of Parliament
His Excellency Gholamali Haddad Adel
Majles-e Shoura-ye Eslami
Baharestan Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: hadadadel@majlis.ir
Salutation: Your Excellency

Related Information:

Amnesty International:  http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE131242007

Amnesty International (USA) Urgent Action Alert for Soghra Najafpour:  http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa27107.pdf  (PDF file)

Amnesty International (Norway) Urgent Action Alert for Soghra Najafpour:  http://www.amnesty.no/web.nsf/pages/678B4B540A7A94EEC125737E0029C40E

Amnesty International (Sweden) on Soghra Najaf Pour:  http://net11.amnesty.se/www/ext/doc?docid=hem/xml-pressnotiser-latest/D98A38B803B648DDC125737D005F6143, http://www.newsdesk.se/pressroom/amnesty_international__svenska_sektionen/pressrelease/view/iran-hon-doemdes-till-doeden-naer-hon-var-13-aar-175261

International Campaign Against Honour Killings:  http://www.stophonourkillings.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2124

In French:  http://www.diplomatie.be/fr/press/homedetails.asp?TEXTID=80431