Abdorrahman Boroumand Center

for Human Rights in Iran

https://www.iranrights.org
Omid, a memorial in defense of human rights in Iran
One Person’s Story

Ahmad Dolatyari

About

Age: 37
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Married

Case

Date of Killing: May 20, 2002
Location of Killing: Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Armed robbery; Murder

About this Case

The execution of Mr. Ahmad Dolatyari was announced in the websites of the Jomhuri Eslami and the Iran newspapers on May 21, 2002. Additional information has been drawn from an electronic form sent to Omid by an individual familiar with this case, the Jam-e Jam newspaper (May 20, 2002), the Iran newspaper (May 19 & 12, March 9, 2002; June 18, 2001) and the Ettela’at newspaper (Jun. 18 & 28, 2000; Jun. 25, Oct. 11 & 29, 2001). According to the electronic form, he worked at an automobile body shop and was known as Robin Hood, who took from the rich and gave to the poor. He had been arrested several times.

Arrest and detention

According to Ettela’at, Mr. Dolatyari was arrested in Tehran on May 18, 2000. He was injured in a fight in prison and transferred to a hospital, from which he escaped on June 13, 2000. He was re-arrested in Mashad in May or June of 2001.

Trial

Mr. Dolatyari was tried at Branch 1603 of the Tehran Criminal Court in October 2001 (Ettala’at).

Charges

According to the newspaper reports, Mr. Dolatyari was charged with “murder”, which allegedly took place on May 2, 2000 (Iran, March 9, 2002).

The validity of the criminal charges brought against this defendant cannot be ascertained in the absence of the basic guarantees of a fair trial.

Evidence of guilt

The newspapers reported that the defendant’s motive for murder was dispute over the ownership of stolen jewelry; the date of the alleged armed robbery of a jewelry store in Tehran was January 10, 2000.

Defense

No information is available concerning Mr. Dolatyari’s defense in the trial. According to Iran (May 21, 2002), before execution he stated: “I have not committed an act deserving of execution.”

Judgment

The Tehran Criminal Court condemned Mr. Ahmad Dolatyari to death and this verdict was approved by the Supreme Court. He was hanged in public on May 20, 2002 in Be’sat district in south of Tehran city.

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