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

Karim Ozbak

About

Nationality: Afghanistan
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: March 2, 2007
Location of Killing: Varamin Prison, Varamin, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Drug trafficking

About this Case

News of the conviction and the execution of Mr. Karim Ozbak, a national of Afghanistan, along with four others, was published on the websites of the Kayhan newspaper on May 30, 2005, and the Jam-e Jam newspaper on March 3, 2007. The public prosecutor of Varamin (Tehran Province) told the reported of Jam-e Jam: “Unfortunately due to the geographical location of Varamin, Afghans easily distribute narcotic drugs throughout the city.”

Arrest and Detention

According to the Public Prosecutor of Varamin, “in April of 2004, the activity of a gang of foreigners, known as Ozbaks, was detected and the police agents infiltrated the gang and arrested 22 smugglers when they were about to sell narcotics.” This defendant was one of those arrested.

Trial

No information is available on the defendant’s trial, other than it took place in Branch 32 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran.

Charges

The charge against the defendant was announced as “smuggling narcotics.”

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

The evidence provided against the defendant, along with four others, was collectively announced as “recovery of 10 kilograms heroin and 3 kilograms and 500 grams of opium.”

Defense

No information is available on the defense.

Judgment

The court condemned Mr. Karim Ozbak to death and the ruling was confirmed by the supreme judiciary officials. He was hanged in Varmin prison yard on March 2, 2007.

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