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

Zinatolsadat (Sudabeh)

About

Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Married

Case

Date of Killing: October 8, 2003
Location of Killing: Evin Prison, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Murder

About this Case

News of the execution of Ms. Zinatolsadat (Sudabeh), without a last name, was published in the Jamejam newspaper on October 8, 2003, and in the Khorasan newspaper on October 9, 2003. Additional information was taken from the Hamshahri newspaper on May 8, 2000. Her case was related to the murder of an old man and his grandchild at Yas Apartment Building in Puneh, Tehran, in 1999.

Arrest and detention

Ms. Zinatolsadat (Sudabeh) was identified and arrested by criminal investigators of Branch Ten at a party while drunk in July of 1999. According to the existing information, on August 10, 1999, residents of Yas Apartment Building contacted the police regarding a strong stench from a residential unit. When agents of Police Station 140 showed up, they broke into the apartment and found a body of a 70-year-old man in the living room. After searching the apartment, they found the body of an 11-year-old boy with tied hands and gagged mouth in a closet. The preliminary investigation revealed that the son and father of the victims was missing; however, he was arrested several days later. During the interrogation, he claimed that a woman named Zinatolsadat, who was his temporary wife, was the perpetrator of these murders. According to him, her motive was to revenge on him because he had rejected her proposal for marriage (Hamshahri newspaper). Based on these statements, police arrested Ms. Zinatolsadat. She was detained for four years.  

Trial

Branch 1602 of the Criminal Court of Tehran tried Ms. Zinatolsadat (Sudabeh) in several sessions. However, no information is available on her trial.

Charges

The charges brought against Ms. Zinatolsadat (Sudabeh) were announced as “murdering two individuals and drinking alcoholic beverages.”  

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

The evidence presented against Ms. Zinatolsadat (Sudabeh) were “recovery of two bodies, confession of her temporary husband, and her own confession.” According to the existing information, her temporary husband stated that she traveled frequently to his father’s home. She also confessed that she had added sleeping pills into the victims’ food, made them unconscious, and murdered them. (Khorasan 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

Ms. Zinatolsadat (Sudabeh) defended herself during the trial; however, no information is available on her defense. It is not clear if she had been drunk while being interrogated and confessed.

Judgment

Branch 1602 of the Criminal Court of Tehran condemned Ms. Zinatolsadat (Sudabeh) to death for committing two murders, and to 80 lashes and one-year imprisonment for drinking alcoholic beverages. Branch Two of the Supreme Court confirmed the ruling. She was hanged at the Qasr or Evin Prison yard in Tehran on October 8, 2003.   

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