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

Mas'ud Shahbazi

About

Nationality: Afghanistan
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: September 26, 1987
Location of Killing: Gorgan, Mazandaran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Unspecified offense; Drug trafficking

About this Case

About this Case

The execution of Mr. Mas’ud Shahbazi, son of Rahmat Shah and a national of Afghanistan, along with fifteen others, was reported in the Kayhan newspaper on September 26, 1987.

Arrest and detention

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

Trial

There is no information regarding this trial.

Charges

According to the newspaper, Mr. Shahbazi was charged with “being highly active in heroin smuggling, being convicted of large-scale heroin selling… illegal entry to Iran from Afghanistan using a forged identification document and an alias in order to avoid prosecution for having committed such serious crimes.”

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’s authorities have brought trumped-up charges against their political opponents and executed them for drug trafficking, sexual, and other criminal offences. Thousands of alleged drug traffickers have been sentenced to death following judicial processes that fail to meet international standards. The exact number of people convicted based on trumped-up charges is unknown.

Evidence of guilt

The newspaper reported that Mr. Shahbazi was arrested as he was selling drugs.

Defense

No information is available concerning Mr. Shahbazi’s defense.

Judgment

The Islamic Revolutionary Tribunal to Combat Drugs declared Mr. Shahbazi a “corruptor on earth” and sentenced him to death. He and two other men were publicly hanged at dawn on September 26, 1987 in Gorgan.

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