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

Moradqoli

About

Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: December 1, 2006
Location of Killing: Zahedan, Sistan Va Baluchestan Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Murder

About this Case

News of the execution of Mr. Avaz Moradqoli, son of Kojayr, along with another individual, was announced by the websites of E’temad Melli (December 2, 2006) and Khabar-e Jonoub (December 4, 2006).

Mr. Moradqoli’s case, and those of three others, pertains to the hostage taking of a person and his death on January 3, 2000.

Arrest and Detention

Mr. Moradqoli was arrested after the family of the victim had filed a complaint against him to the police. He spent seven years in prison (Khabar-e Jonoub). However, there is no information available on the details of Mr. Moradqoli’s arrest and detention.

Trial

Mr. Moradqoli and three others were tried by the public court. There is no information available on the details of the session or sessions of his trial.

Charges

Mr. Moradqoli was charged with “premeditated murder and hostage taking.” According to the available information, he and three others took a person hostage and asked his family for 200 million tomans in cash to release him. After three days, the hostage, due to his extremely ill health, was moved to hospital where he died one day later.

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 complaint of the victim’s family, the confessions of the accused, and the expert opinion of the coroner that the victim’s death had resulted from the conditions of hostage taking” were entered against Mr. Moradqoli as evidence of guilt.

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

There is no information available on the details of Mr. Moradqoli’s defense.

Judgment

The Public Court of Zahedan sentenced Mr. Avaz Moradqoli to death. This verdict, after a couple of revisions by different authorities, was approved by the Supreme Court. Mr. Moradqoli was hanged publicly, along with another individual, at the juncture of Saeed and Amir al-Mo’menin streets of the city of Zahedan on December 2, 2006. The other two defendants were each sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment.

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