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

Seyed Shakur Hosseini

About

Age: 40
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: June 13, 2007
Location of Killing: Karaj, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Drug trafficking

About this Case

News of the execution of Mr. Seyed Shakur Hosseini, along with another person, was published on the websites of ISNA (Iranian Students News Agency) on June 13, theIran newspaper on June 14, and the E’temad and Jame Jam newspapers on June 13, 14, 2007.

Arrest and Detention

According to the Iran newspaper report, on September 14, 2005, the police agents of the Fighting against Narcotics Office in Tehran were informed of a major shipment of opium from Sistan and Bluchestan province to Tehran by a smuggling network. On September 15, the smugglers’ vehicle was identified in Biyabanak near Karaj and five individuals including the defendant were arrested after an armed clash.

Trial

This trial took place in Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Karaj.

Charges

The charges against Mr. Hosseini, were announced as “transportation, possession, and distribution of opium.” According to the Chief Judge of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Karaj, “the defendant had a record of nine previous convictions for participation in murder, assault and battery, and robbery.”

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 Islamic Republic authorities have brought trumped-up charges against their political opponents and executed them for alleged drug trafficking, sexual, and other criminal offences. 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

According to the media reports, the defendant confessed to distribution of 2,200 kilograms of narcotics in Tehran. When the hiding place and the vehicle of the defendant were searched, 355 kilograms of impure opium, 346 kilograms of pure opium, 7 Kalashnikov weapons, and some bullets were recovered.

Defense

No information is available on the defense.

Judgment

The court condemned Mr. Hosseini to death as a “corruptor on earth” and the ruling was confirmed by the Supreme Court. His pardon request was rejected by the Pardon Commission. He was hanged in public in Fardis, Karaj, on June 13, 2007. According to the E’temad newspaper, when the ruling was about to be carried out, two women cried and demanded to stop the execution. They were the sister and mother of the defendant and persistently declared that he was innocent. But the police took them away from the location. According to the Jame Jam newspaper, when he was taken to the gallows, the defendant continuously cried, “I’m innocent. I don’t deserve this.”

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