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

Rahim Nurollahzadeh

About

Age: 19
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Single

Case

Date of Killing: November 25, 2014
Location of Killing: Central Prison, Tabriz, Azarbaijan-e Sharqi Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Murder
Age at time of alleged offense: 14

About this Case

News of the execution of Mr. Rahim Nurollahzadeh, along with four others, was published on the website of Campaign in Defense of Civil and Political Prisoners and, along with another person, on the website of Nafas-dar-Qafas on November 30, 2014. His case was related to the murder of his friend during a street fight in 2009 when he was under 14 years old.

International laws have strictly prohibited capital punishment against those who were under the age of 18 at the time of committing the crime. As a party to the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Iran has the obligation to avoid capital punishment for an offence committed before the age of eighteen.

Arrest and detention

According to the website of Nafas-dar-Qafas, Mr. Nurollahzadeh was detained for five years. The Campaign in Defense of Civil and Political Prisoners reported that he was tortured physically and psychologically. However, the circumstances of his arrest and detention are not known.

Trial

No information is available on Mr. Nurollahzadeh’s trial.

Charges

The charge brought against Mr. Nurollahzadeh was announced as “murder.”  

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 report of this execution did not provide any specific information on the evidence presented against Mr. Nurollahzadeh. 

Defense

Mr. Nurollahzadeh was under 18 when the crime was committed. No information is available on his defense.

Judgment

Mr. Rahim Nurollahzadeh was hanged at Tabriz Central Prison on November 25, 2014. No specific information is available about this execution.

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