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

Ali (Kianush) Naderi

About

Age: 21
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Single

Case

Date of Killing: January 16, 2013
Location of Killing: Gohardasht Prison, Karaj, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Murder
Age at time of alleged offense: 17

About this Case

News of the execution of Mr.  Ali (Kianush) Naderi, along with another person, was published on the websites of Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran and the Mehr News Agency on January 16, 2013, and Iran Human Rights Organization on January 24, 2013. Additional information was taken from the website of the Human Rights Organization in Iran on January 15, 2013, and the Iran and the E’temad newspapers on November 30, 2009. According to the existing information, Mr. Naderi, 17, was a high school student when arrested. His case was related to the murder of an eighty-year-old woman on November 12, 2008. According to the Iran newspaper, Mr. Naderi, in collaboration with two others, had murdered a woman during the robbery from her house.

International laws have strictly prohibited capital punishment against those who were under the age of 18 at the time of committing the crime. As a party to the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Iran has the obligation to avoid capital punishment for an offence committed before the age of eighteen.

Arrest and detention

Mr. Naderi was arrested by police shortly after a murder took place on November 12, 2008. He was arrested, along with his two classmates, as a collaborator in robbery and murder (Iran and E’temad newspapers). He was first detained at the Correction and Rehabilitation Center due to being under age. Then, he was detained in Hall 3, Section 1 of the Gohardasht Prison in Karaj. He was transferred to solitary confinement in Section 5 of the Gohardasht Prison on January 15, 2013 to be executed. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran)

Trial

Branch 71 of the Provincial Criminal Court of Tehran tried Mr. Naderi and his collaborator on November 29, 2009. After the representative of the Public Prosecutor spoke during the trial, the victim’s family demanded punishment for all three defendants. Then, Mr. Naderi defended himself as the first row defendant. His two collaborators also defended themselves. There were one judge and 4 counselors in the court for issuing the ruling. (Iran and E’temad newspapers)

Charges

The representative of the Public Prosecutor charged Mr. Naderi with “murder,” and the other two collaborators with “assistance in murder.”

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 authorities have brought trumped-up charges, including drug trafficking, sexual, and other criminal offences, against their opponents (including political, civil society activists, as well as unionists and ethnic and religious minorities). Each year Iranian authorities sentence to death hundreds of alleged common criminals, following judicial processes that fail to meet international standards. The exact number of people convicted and executed based on trumped-up charges is unknown.

Evidence of guilt

The evidence presented against Mr. Naderi was his “confession” and the confession of his collaborators.

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

In his defense, Mr. Naderi stated that he did not intend to murder the old woman. He only intended to force her to give up the key to her safe. Also, he mentioned that he had killed the old woman because of the insistence of his friend who was the victim’s relative and was identified by her. Finally, Mr. Naderi expressed regret.

Judgment

Branch 71 of the Provincial Criminal Court of Tehran condemned Mr. Ali (Kianush) Naderi to death. The Supreme Court confirmed the ruling. He was hanged in the Gohardasht Prison in Karaj on January 16, 2013 at dawn. One of his collaborators was condemned to 15 years and the other to 10 years imprisonment.  

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