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

Shahruz

About

Age: 26
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: April 16, 2015
Location of Killing: Gohardasht Prison, Karaj, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Murder
Age at time of alleged offense: 21

About this Case

News of the execution of Mr. Shahruz (without a last name), along with four others, was published on the websites of Jamejam on April 16, 2015, Javanonline on April 17, 2015, and the Iran Human Rights Organization on May 3, 2015.

According to the existing information, he worked in a restaurant and his case was related to the murder of the restaurant owner in Hakimieh, Tehran, on March 16, 2011.

Arrest and detention

On the day of the incident, when police agents of the Tehranpars police station 144 arrived at the scene, they realized that Mr. Shahruz had a fought with the restaurant owner and had fled. He was arrested after a while. However, the circumstances of his arrest and detention are not known.

Trial

Branch 113 of the Tehran Criminal Court tried Mr. Shahruz. No information is available on his trial.

Charges

The charge brought against Mr. Shahruz was announced as “murdering a restaurant owner.”  

The validity of the criminal charges brought against this defendant cannot be ascertained in the absence of the basic guarantees of a fair trial.  International human rights organizations have drawn attention to reports indicating that the Islamic Republic authorities have brought trumped-up charges, including drug trafficking, sexual, and other criminal offences, against their opponents (including political, civil society activists, as well as unionists and ethnic and religious minorities). Each year Iranian authorities sentence to death hundreds of alleged common criminals, following judicial processes that fail to meet international standards. The exact number of people convicted and executed based on trumped-up charges is unknown.

Evidence of guilt

The evidence presented against Mr. Shahruz was his “confession.”    

International human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for its systematic use of severe torture and solitary confinement to obtain confessions from detainees and have questioned the authenticity of confessions obtained under duress.

Defense

No information is available on Mr. Shahruz’s defense. However, during the interrogation, he stated that he had drunk alcoholic beverages on the day of the incident. 

Judgment

Branch 113 of the Tehran Criminal Court condemned Mr. Shahruz to death and the Supreme Court confirmed the ruling. He was hanged, along with four others, at the Gohardasht Prison yard in Karaj on April 16, 2015.  

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