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

Samad (Farhad) (Kuhi)

About

Age: 24
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: October 25, 2012
Location of Killing: Unknown
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Murder
Age at time of alleged offense: 16

About this Case

News of the execution of Mr. Samad (“Farhad,” last name unknown,) along with two others was published by various sources including the newspapers Iran (October 25, 2012) and Farhikhtegan  (October 26, 2012.) According to the existing information, his case was related to the murder of a middle-aged man in Shahriyar, Tehran, on April 7, 2004 (Farhikhtegan.) Mr. Samad (Farhad) was 16 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

Police arrested Mr. Samad (Farhad) in June of 2005 during an investigation into a murder that had taken place 15 months earlier (Farhikhtegan). He was 17 years old when arrested. The circumstances of his arrest and detention are not known.

Trial

Branch 71 of the Criminal Court in Tehran tried Mr. Samad (Farhad.) No information is available on his trial.

Charges

The charge brought against Mr. Samad (Farhad) was announced as “murder.” He was accused of murdering a taxi driver at the Adran Fork in Shahriyar with multiple knife stabs.  

The validity of the criminal charges brought against this defendant cannot be ascertained in the absence of the basic guarantees of a fair trial.

Evidence of guilt

According to the existing information, Mr. Samad (Farhad)’s “confession” was the main reason for his conviction. (Iran 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

Mr. Samad (Farhad) was younger than 18 when the murder took place. No information is available on his defense. According to the Iran newspaper, he had described his motive for the murder as hatred towards the victim because of the victim’s marriage proposal to the woman he loved.   

Judgment

Branch 71 of the Criminal Court in Tehran condemned Mr. Samad (Farhad) to death and the Supreme Court confirmed the ruling. He was hanged, along with two others, at Raja’ishahr Prison in Karaj on October 24, 2012. No specific information is available about this execution.

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