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

Aqa Mohammad Khan Mohammad Afghani

About

Nationality: Afghanistan
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: August 14, 1980
Location of Killing: Mashhad, Khorasan\Khorasan-e Razavi Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Shooting
Charges: Robbery; Corruption on earth

About this Case

The execution of Mr. Aqa Mohammad Khan Mohammad Afghani and another individual was reported by the Jomhuri Eslami daily correspondent in Mashhad (August 14, 1980).

Arrest and detention

No information is available on the circumstances of Mr. Afghani’s arrest and detention.

Trial

The defendant’s case was examined in a special session of the Islamic Revolutionary Tribunal of Mashhad. No specific information about the trial is available in the report.

Charges

Based on the report, the defendant’s charges were as follows: “armed robbery, beastly torture, and damaging people’s properties.” Specifically, he was charged with stealing 3900 Deutsch Marks, “some Iranian money,” and women’s jewelry. He was accused of being the head of a team that broke doors and windows, forcefully pulled earrings off women’s ears, and whipped people with cable wires and threatened them with different weapons, but no names or specific information regarding these accusations were given in the report.

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. Each year, Iranian authorities sentenced to death hundreds of alleged common criminals, 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 report did not provide any information on the evidence presented against the defendant.

Defense

No information on the accused’s defense is available.

Judgment

The Islamic Revolutionary Tribunal of Mashhad found Mr. Afghani a “corruptor on earth” and an “essentially corrupt individual” and sentenced him to death. He was executed at dawn.

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