11 January 2007

Nazanin Mahabad Fatehi - Update


Last May May I wrote about Nazanin Mahabad Fatehi , an 18-year old Iranian girl who was sentenced to death in January 2006 for killing a man who ambushed and tried to rape her.

In March 2005 Nazanin and her niece were attacked in a Tehran park by three men. The men tried to rape Nazanin and her niece and in self defence she stabbed one of them in the chest.

Last June Ayatollah Shahroudi (the Head of Judiciary) commuted Nazanin’s death sentence and ordered a retrial. According to the Save Nazanin website Naznin’s re-trial concluded yesterday. After much discussion, the four judges unanimously determined that the last year’s decision was wrong and Nazanin’s actions were not intentional. The defense attorneys are hopeful that the final decision on her fate will be announced in the next few days. Although not assured there is now hope that she will be spared the death penalty.

Save Nazanin petition

4 comments:

Frank Partisan said...

Thank you for the update.

jams o donnell said...

Here's hoping for good news Ren

Pete said...

What is it about fundamentalist Islam and Sharia law?

- Woman cannot stab man in self-defence? Implication being that man is higher form of life?

- Sexual assault of a woman equals "she asked for it" therefore she must be killed?

Such laws could only survive through beards, fear and dread.

Pete

jams o donnell said...

Agreed Pete. I loathe fundamentalists and their misogyny.