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

Vali Najafnia

About

Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: February 27, 2015
Location of Killing: Maragheh, Azarbaijan-e Sharqi Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Drug related offense

About this Case

News of the execution of Mr. Vali Najafnia, along with three others, was published on the website of HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency) on March 23, 2015.   

Arrest and detention

The circumstances of Mr. Najafnia’s arrest and detention are not known.

Trial

No information is available on Mr. Najafnia’s trial.

Charges

According to HRANA, the charges against Mr. Najafnia were announced as “crimes related to narcotics.”

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 or methadone). The exact number of people convicted based on trumped-up charges is unknown.   

Evidence of guilt

The report of this execution does not contain information regarding the evidence provided against Mr. Najafnia.

Defense

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

Judgment

Mr. Vali Najafnia was hanged at the Maragheh Prison yard on February 27, 2015. 

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