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

Z. B.

About

Age: 29
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: January 28, 2009
Location of Killing: Central Prison (Adelabad), Shiraz, Fars Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Murder

About this Case

The news of the execution of Mr. Z. B. was announced by the website ofE’temad daily (January 31, 2009) andKhabar-e Jonoub daily (January 29, 2009). Mr. Z. B. was 29 years old and from Shiraz. He was romantically interested in a girl to whom he had proposed a few times; however, the girl’s father was strictly against the marriage of the two. The case of Mr. Z. B. pertains to the murder of the father of the girl he was interested in.

Arrest and Detention

After the Police Criminal Investigation Department of Shiraz had been informed via a telephone call of the murder of a man on August 21, 2004, Mr. Z. B. was arrested during the initial phase of police investigation and moved to the Police Criminal Investigation Department station of Shiraz. According to the available information, the accused admitted to the murder in the course of his interrogation. However, there is no information available on the details of his arrest and detention.

Trial

Branch 122 of the Public Court of Fars Province tried Mr. Z. B. However, there is no information available on the session or sessions of his trial. 

Charges

The court charged Mr. Z. B. with premediated murder. He was accused of fatally shooting the father of the girl he was romantically interested in with four bullets. 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

Mr. Z. B.’s confessions became the basis for the verdict that was issued against him. During the initial phase of police investigation as well as the court proceedings he admitted to the murder of the father of the girl we was interested in. A Colt handgun and the report of the coroner were among the pieces of evidence that were entered against Mr. Z. B (Khabar-e Jonoub daily, January 29, 2009). 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

Mr. Z. B. defended himself by stating that he had not intended to murder the victim, but that he only wanted to scare him off by showing him the Colt (Khabar-e Jonoub daily, January 29, 2009). He also added that the four bullets had been fired accidentally (E’temad daily, January 31, 2009). However, there is no more information available on the details of Mr. Z. B.’s defense.

Judgment

At the request of the first-degree blood relatives of the victim, the court sentenced Mr. Z. B. to death. The verdict was approved by the Supreme Court. Mr. Z. B. was hanged at the request of the first-degree blood relatives of the victim in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz on the morning of Wednesday, January 28, 2009.

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