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

Seyed Khalil Puranvari

About

Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: January 9, 2003
Location of Killing: Evin Prison, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Drug trafficking; Addiction

About this Case

News of the execution of Mr. Seyed Khalil Puranvari, son of Seyed Mahmud, along with five others, was published on the website of ISNA (Iranian Students News Agency) on January 13, 2003 and in the Jomhuri Eslami newspaper on January 14, 2003. 

Arrest and detention

Mr. Puranvari was arrested following several reports regarding gang robberies from carpet stores across Tehran. The circumstances of his arrest and detention are not known.

Trial

According to the Public Relations Office of the Islamic Revolutionary Court, a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran tried Mr. Puranvari. No information is available on his trial.

Charges

The charges brought against Mr. Puranvari were announced as “possession of 30 grams of heroin, participation in buying 180 grams of heroin, selling 90 grams of heroin, and addiction to heroin.” 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). Thousands of alleged drug traffickers have been sentenced to death following judicial processes that fail to meet international standards. Scores of them were executed based on a 1989 law imposing mandatory death sentences on drug traffickers found in possession of specified amounts of proscribed narcotics (5 kg of hashish or opium, and more than 30 grams of heroin, codeine or methadone). The exact number of people convicted 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. Puranvari.

Defense

No information is available on Mr. Puranvari’s defense.

Judgment

A branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran condemned Mr. Seyed Khalil Puranvari to death and the Supreme Court confirmed the ruling. He was hanged, along with five others, in the presence of forensics representatives, police and court officials at Evin Prison in Tehran on January 9, 2003. No specific information is available about this execution.

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