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

Hamid A.

About

Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: August 19, 2004
Location of Killing: Kerman, Kerman Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Drug trafficking

About this Case

The execution of Mr. Hamid A., along with two other people, was reported in Jomhuri-ye Islami Newspaper and Kayhan Newspaper citing the Public Relations Office of the Ministry of Justice of Kerman (August 21, 2004). His case has to do with armed drug smuggling and arms possession.

Arrest and detention

Mr. Hamid A. was arrested, along with another person, by the Kerman Provincial Province. The arrest took place at his warehouse on Abuzar Street in Kerman. The details of his arrest and detention are not known.

Trial

The Revolutionary Court of Kerman tried Mr. Hamid A. No information is available on his trial.

Charges

The charges brought against Mr. Hamid A. were “participating in armed drug smuggling, specifically opium and morphine, and possession of arms and ammunition”.

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). 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 evidence against Mr. Hamid A. and another suspect was “possession of 3500 kilograms drugs, specifically opium and morphine, 11 Kalashnikov rifles, one RPG-7 rocket launcher, four Colt revolvers, one Goryunov machine gun, and enough ammunition for all of these weapons”.

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. Hamid A.’s defense.

Judgment

The Revolutionary Court of Kerman sentenced Mr. Hamid A. to death by hanging. This sentence was approved by the Supreme Court. On August 19, 2004, he and two other people were publicly executed in Haft Bagh Square in Kerman. 

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