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

Mohammad Ali Firuzi

About

Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: February 24, 2004
Location of Killing: Marvdasht, Fars Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Sexual Offense

About this Case

News of the execution of Mr. Mohammad Ali Firuzi (Firuzabadi) was published by various sources including the website of ISNA (Iranian Students News Agency) on February 24, 2004, and in the Jamejam newspaper on November 6, 2009. Additional information was taken from the Iran newspaper on February 4, 2004, and the Sharq newspaper on February 5, 2004. According to the existing information, Mr. Firuzi was married and from Marvdasht in Fars. His case was related to the kidnapping and molestation of 36 children in Marvdasht.

Arrest and detention

Agents of Police Station 12, Be’sat, in Marvdasht identified and arrested Mr. Firuzi during an investigation regarding the kidnapping of a girl in Marvdasht (Iran newspaper). The circumstances of his arrest and detention are not known.

Trial

Branch Two of the Marvdasht Courthouse tried Mr. Firuzi as the first row defendant in this case on October 1, 2003. No information is available on his trial.

Charges

The charges brought against Mr. Firuzi were announced as “kidnapping, rape, illegitimate relationships, and robbery” (Sharq newspaper). He was charged with kidnapping 36 young girls, molestation of them in wilderness, and robbery of their gold. (Iran newspaper)       

The validity of the criminal charges brought against this defendant cannot be ascertained in the absence of the basic guarantees of a fair trial.  

Evidence of guilt

According to the existing information, Mr. Firuzi’s “confession” had been the main reason for his conviction. He had confessed to the kidnapping of 36 young girls, molestation of them, and robbing of their gold. (Iran newspaper)

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

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

Judgment

Branch Two of the Marvdasht Courthouse condemned Mr. Mohammad Ali Firuzi (Firuzabadi) to death in public, eight counts, based on Article 82, Section D, of the Islamic Penal Code * in November of 2003 (Sharq newspaper). Branch 32 of the Supreme Court confirmed the ruling (Iran newspaper). He was hanged in public at Mo’alem Square in Marvdasht on February 24, 2004 at 10:30 a.m. Additionally, the court condemned him to 15 years imprisonment for 36 kidnappings, to ten years imprisonment and 74 lashes for 36 robberies, and to 99 lashes in public for acts incompatible with chastity (Sharq newspaper). Mr. Firuzi’s wife was also condemned to three years imprisonment and lashes for participation in robbery of gold belonging to the victims. 

According to ISNA, the victims’ families did not give interviews and were not present at the execution location in order to protect their honor. During the execution, several people yelled, “Do not say he was from Marvdasht. He was from somewhere else!”

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* Article 82 -In the following cases the hadd punishment for zina is the death penalty and there is no distinction between young and old or between married or unmarried:

(a)   Zina with blood relatives who are prohibited to marry.

(b)   Zina with a step-mother; in which case, the man who committed zina shall be sentenced to the death penalty.

(c)   Zina of a non-Muslim man with a Muslim woman; in which case, the man who committed zina shall be sentenced to the death penalty.

(d)   Zina committed by coercion or force [i.e. rape]; in which case, the man who committed zina by coercion or force shall be sentenced to the death penalty.

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