حزب کمونیست کارگری ایران وب سایت رسمی حزب کمونیست کارگری ایران
Update of Rayhaneh Jabbari’s case from the Campaign to “Save Rayhaneh Jabbari From Execution In Iran”
To our kind supporters:
We would like to proudly announce that Campaign to “Save Rayhaneh Jabbari From Execution In Iran” has been one of the most significant movements against execution in Iran. On average, two people are hanged in the Islamic Republic every day, while hundreds languish in prison waiting for the hour of their execution to arrive.
Through Rayhaneh’s campaign, millions around the world came to realize the horror of executions and the unjust and medieval judiciary system behind the government that orders these killings regularly.
Rayhaneh is a professional interior designer and as such had accepted a new job renovating an office. She entered the place she believed to be her new project with the man who had hired her. There, the man tried to rape her. She acted in self defense by stabbing him only once. She was arrested and sentenced to death. The courts did not pay any attention to the evidence during her trial. Additionally, according to Mr. Mohammad Mostafaei, Rayhaneh’s lawyer at the time of her trial, the police investigator-Mr. Shamloo- who was responsible for gathering evidence at the scene of the incident, destroyed the file containing the evidence and his notes. Rayhaneh therefore was convicted of first degree, intentional, pre-meditated murder and sentenced to die. The court refused to believe her story- that she acted in self defense under the threat of rape.
Rayhaneh has been in prison for the last 7 years; living with the nightmare of being executed at any time. In March 2014, her death sentence was upheld by the Head of the Judiciary, Mr. Sadegh Larijani. Other words, the papers which order her actual hanging were finally signed by the higher courts; which usually mean the hanging is days or weeks away.
Upon hearing this urgent news; we initiated a campaign for Rayhaneh which attracted worldwide attention. Over 150,000 people across the world quickly signed the petition to save Rayhaneh. Many prominent artists responded to the call of Rayhaneh’s mother who is a theatrical artist. Oscar winning director, Asghar Farhadi, wrote a letter to the victim’s family to halt Rayhaneh’s execution [as per Islamic Law the family of the victim can ask for a sum of money as compensation instead of the death sentence]. Moreover, there have been protests to save Rayhaneh in Sweden, Canada, Germany, Norway, United States, Kurdistan and Iraq-just to name a few.
The campaign contacted international institutions regarding Rayhaneh’s case. So far Amnesty International, the UN Special Rapporteur for Iran- Dr. Ahmed Shaheed and the EU have protested Rayhaneh’s death sentence.
Rayhaneh’s case brought much attention to Islamic Republic’s judiciary system especially with regards to rape cases. Various International media outlets have reported on this issue.
Mr. Mohammad Mostafaei; Rayhaneh’s first lawyer has made it clear that Rayhaneh’s death sentence was signed by the courts even after the evidence was destroyed or went “missing.” In fact, those who signed the death sentence in the Islamic Republic are not even sure of Rayahneh’s guilt themselves. Or rather they are just trying to blame her for the murder regardless.
As the campaign has progressed, there have been misleading statements given by the victim’s family and their lawyers about the details of the case. The untrue nature of these statements has forced Mr. Mostafaei –Rayhaneh’s first lawyer– to publish a detailed response: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmIuXtq1CF0
For example, the knife in question has become larger and larger in size since the campaign began. Now lawyers of the victim’s family are claiming that the knife was half a meter long from the originally recorded size of 15 cm. Additionally, it is being announced by the family that the drink on the table which forensics confirmed contained sedatives, did not contain sedatives but laxatives instead! The place of the stabbing is now changing as well. It is now being said that the victim was stabbed while performing Muslim prayers!
We once again announce that we stand against execution. We ask that Rayhaneh’s death sentence be officially overturned by the courts. We ask that the murder of Morteza Sarbandi be investigated in a fair trial as described by International standards.
Since Rayhaneh’s death sentence has not been cancelled by the courts of the Islamic Republic, our campaign to save Rayhaneh will continue full force.
We ask everyone to support us to save Rayhaneh.
Nazanin Afshin Jam
Shadi Paveh
Shabnam Assadollahi
Mina Ahadi
April 21, 2014
