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

MollaGol Hassan

About

Age: 21
Nationality: Afghanistan
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: January 21, 2009
Location of Killing: Evin Prison, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Murder
Age at time of alleged offense: 17

About this Case

News of the execution of Mr. Mollagol Hassan along with nine others was published by various sources including the Iran newspaper (January 22, 2009,) Amnesty International (August 2015,) Radio Farda (January 27, 2009,) Human Rights Watch (May 1, 2009,) and the International Committee Against the Death Penalty (January 13, 2015.) According to the existing information, Mr. Hassan’s case was related to the murder of an Afghan citizen on November 14, 2004. Mr. Hassan was himself an Afghan citizen and only 17 years old when arrested.

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.

The execution of Mr. Hassan was met with objections by international human rights organizations. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Committee Against the Death Penalty issued statements condemning the execution of children in Iran. In addition, the European Union issued a statement objecting the execution of Mr. Hassan and stated that the execution of those who committed a crime when under legal age is “absolutely unjustifiable and against international laws”(Radio Farda.)

Arrest and detention

The circumstances of Mr. Hassan’s arrest and detention are not known.

Trial

Branch 74 of the Criminal Court in Tehran tried Mr. Hassan. No information is available on his trial.

Charges

The charge brought against Mr. Hassan was announced as “murder.” According to the Iran newspaper, he was accused of murdering a fellow Afghan national named Fakhrodin in order to steal his money on November 14, 2004.   

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. Hassan.

Defense

Mr. Hassan was younger than 18 when the incident occurred. No information is available on his defense.

Judgment

Branch 74 of the Criminal Court in Tehran condemned Mr. Mollagol Hassan to death. He was hanged along with nine others in the yard of Tehran’s Evin Prison on the morning of January 21, 2009 (Iran newspaper.)    

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