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

Shohreh Shirzad

About

Nationality: Iran
Religion: Non-Believer
Civil Status: Single

Case

Date of Killing: 1983
Location of Killing: Evin Prison, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Shooting
Charges: Unknown charge

About this Case

Information about Ms. Shohreh Shirzad has been provided by a former cellmate through an electronic form. Ms. Shirzad is one of the 430 individuals whose name appears on the list of “Martyrs of the Peykar Organization for the Liberation of the Working Class” published on the website of Peykar Andeesheh. This list contains the names of those members of the Organization who died after the Revolution of 1979. More than 400 of the individuals on this list have been executed.

According to her cellmate, Ms. Shirzad had dark skin and black hair. She was from Abadan and her cellmate called her “Abadani Girl.” Other prisoners from Room 6 of Section 240 in Evin prison loved her. She was warm and friendly; she always had a smile on her face. She was the only child in her family and her mother did everything she could to prevent her execution. Ms. Shirzad knew that she would be executed but she would not let that upset her. She tried to enjoy her short life among her cellmates.

The Peykar Organization for the Liberation of the Working Class was founded by a number of dissident members of the Mojahedin Khalq Organization who had converted to Marxism-Leninism. Peykar was also joined by a number of political organizations, known as Khat-e Se (Third line). The founding tenets of Peykar included the rejection of guerrilla struggle and a strong stand against the pro-Soviet policies of the Iranian Tudeh Party. Peykar viewed the Soviet Union as a “Social imperialist” state, believed that China had deviated from the Marxist-Leninist principles, and radically opposed all factions of the Islamic regime of Iran. The brutal repression of dissidents by the Iranian government and splits within Peykar in 1981 and 1982 effectively dismantled the Organization and scattered its supporters. By the mid-1980s, Peykar was no longer in existence.

Arrest and detention

The details of Ms. Shirzad’s arrest are not known. She was interrogated at Branch 6 of the Prosecution Office in Evin prison, during which she was flogged on her head and soles. During the first week of her detention, she was kept in the corridor leading to interrogation room, from which one could hear other prisoners being tortured. She was denied the right to be represented by an attorney and access to her file.

Trial

There is no information regarding this trial.

Charges

The charges brought against the defendant are not known.

Evidence of guilt

No information is available concerning the evidence presented against the accused.

Defense

No information is available concerning Ms. Shirzad’s defense.

Judgment

No specific information is available about the verdict leading to this execution. Ms. Shoreh Shirzad was shot by a firing squad in Evin prison in the winter of 1983.

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