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

Mehran

About

Age: 17
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Single

Case

Date of Killing: May 31, 2006
Location of Killing: Evin Prison, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Rape
Age at time of alleged offense: Under 18

About this Case

News of the execution of Mr. Mehran, along with another person, was published on the websites of the Mardomsalari newspaper on June 1, 2006, the Hambastegi newspaper and Fars news agency on June 7, 2006. Additional information was taken from the Iran newspaper on September 24, 2005, the Jomhuri Eslami newspaper and the website of Khabare Jonub on February 16, 2006, and an Amnesty International list. Mr. Mehran’s case and the cases of two other defendants was related to the kidnapping and rape of an 18-year-old girl at an incomplete building in Karaj on September 19, 2005. According to the Amnesty International list, he and another defendant of this case were younger than 18 years old at the time of the incident.

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

Mr. Mehran was arrested by the Intelligence Police in Karaj, along with another person, on September 21, 2005 (Fars news agency). They were identified and arrested after a complaint was filed by a girl who was raped on September 19, 2005. The third defendant was also arrested after the confession of these two defendants (Iran newspaper). The circumstances of his arrest and detention are not known.

Trial

Branch 77 of the Criminal Court in Tehran tried Mr. Mehran and the other two defendants in September of 2005. The trial was in several sessions with five judges (Mardomsalari newspaper). However, no information is available on his trial.

Charges

According to the Head of the Criminal Court in Tehran, the charges brought against Mr. Mehran and another defendant were collectively announced as “kidnapping, robbery, and rape.” (Hambastegi newspaper) 

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 evidence presented against Mr. Mehran was the complaint and testimony of the young girl, the license number of the car belonging to defendants, and their “confessions.” (Mardomsalari newspaper)

International human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for its systematic use of severe torture and solitary confinement to obtain confessions from detainees and have questioned the authenticity of confessions obtained under duress.

Defense

According to the Amnesty International report, Mr. Mehran was younger than 18 when the incident occurred. In an interview with the media, the Head of the Criminal Court in Tehran emphasized that the age of Mr. Mehran and another defendant was 18 years old (Jomhuri Eslami newspaper on February 16, 2006). The Deputy Public Prosecutor of Tehran announced their age over 18 several months later in June of 2006. (Fars news agency)

According to the judge of this case, Mr. Mehran and another defendant did not accept their charges during the trial and claimed that they had been friends with the young girl. The third defendant and the driver of the car used for kidnapping, told the court that he was not aware of kidnapping and thought that they were friends. (Iran newspaper)

Judgment

Branch 77 of the Criminal Court in Tehran condemned Mr. Mehran to death on September 27, 2005. Branch 39 of the Supreme Court confirmed the ruling on February 13, 2006. After the defendants objected the ruling again, the case was referred to the Decrement Branch of the Supreme Court and was confirmed again. He was hanged, along with another defendant of the case, at the Evin Prison yard in Tehran on May 31, 2006. The third defendant was exonerated.    

Correct/ Complete This Entry