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

Abdollah Shiri

About

Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim

Case

Date of Killing: March 1, 1989
Location of Killing: Birjand, Khorasan\Khorasan-e Razavi Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Drug trafficking; Possession of arms

About this Case

The execution of Mr. Abdollah Shiri, son of Habibollah, along with 49 other individuals who were executed in 15 different cities on one day for drug trafficking, was announced in the communiqué of the Center for Combating Narcotics and published in the Jomhuri Eslami newspaper on March 2, 1989.

Arrest and Detention

The circumstances of this defendant’s arrest and detention are not known.

Trial

No information is available on the defendant’s trial other than it took place in the Revolutionary Court of Birjand (North Khorasan province).

Charges

The charges against Mr. Shiri were announced as “continuous participation in dealing, possession, and distribution of narcotics, possession of 78 kilograms of opium, participation in selling and buying weapon and ammunition, possession of a Kalashnikov with 3 magazines.”

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 Islamic Republic authorities have brought trumped-up charges against their political opponents and executed them for alleged drug trafficking, sexual, and other criminal offences. Thousands of alleged drug traffickers have been sentenced to death following judicial processes that fail to meet international standards. Scores of them were executed based on a 1989 law, imposing mandatory death sentences on drug traffickers found in possession of specified amounts of proscribed narcotics (5 kg of hashish or opium, and more than 30 grams of heroin, codeine, methadone, or morphine). The exact number of people convicted based on trumped-up charges is unknown.

Evidence of Guilt

The newspaper reported the defendant had a “conviction record for drug dealing, acts incompatible with chastity, and selling explosives.”

Defense

No information is available on Mr. Shiri’s defense.

Judgment

The court condemned Mr. Abdollah Shiri to death and he was hanged in Birjand on March 1, 1989.

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