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

Mohammad Nushunbahr

About

Age: 22
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Single

Case

Date of Killing: May 15, 2002
Location of Killing: Qasr Prison, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Age at time of alleged offense: 18

About this Case

Were these two young men victims of the chain murders?

News of the execution of Mr. Mohammad Nushinbahr, along with another person, was published in the Iran newspaper on May 16, 2002. Additional information was taken from the Ettela’at and Hamshahri newspapers on May 14, 2000, the Ettela’at newspaper on January 25, 2000, the Jomhuri Eslami newspaper on April 20, 1999, websites of Gostaresh-Agaahi on March 17, 2013, Jonbesh Rahe Sabz on December 2, 2009, the Human Rights Defending Association for Iran on November 3, 2012, and Mihan.

Mr. Kaheh’s case and the case of the other defendant were related to the murder of a doctor and robbing him at his house in Jamaran, Tehran, on October 29 or 31, 1998. Both defendants were conscripts at the time.

According to the existing information, the victim’s body was found at his house and transferred to the forensics office on December 31, 1998. However, on his grave stone the date of death is written as December 28, 1998. According to the forensic report, marks on his neck indicate that the cause of death was probably suffocation with a rope (Human Rights Defending Association for Iran). He was a doctor for Ahmad Khomeini and it was said that he had information about the death of Khomeini’s son and this was the reason for security forces in Iran to murder him (Mihan website). In many media reports this doctor is considered a victim of the infamous chain murders. The information regarding this case is so limited that the cause of death is not yet clear.     

Arrest and detention

According to the existing information, Mr. Kaheh was arrested by inspectors of the Tehran and Shemiranat Police Departments in the fall of 1999. A seller informed the police about the victim’s checks in the market. With the help of this seller, police agents were able to identify and arrest a mother and her daughter who were in possession of the checks. During the interrogation, the mother confessed that her son gave her the checks. After this confession, police agents identified and arrested Mr. Kaheh and his friend. He was detained over three years.

Trial

Branch 1603 of the Criminal Court of Tehran tried Mr. Kaheh and the other defendant in several sessions. However, no information is available on his trial.

Charges

The charges brought against Mr. Kaheh and the other defendant were announced as “murder 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.

Evidence of guilt

The evidence presented against Mr. Kaheh was “finding the victim’s checks in Bazaar, finding the victim’s belongings and stamp in the air conditioning canal at the house of Mr. Kaheh’s mother, his confession, and the confession of the other defendant.”

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. Kaheh defended himself during his trial; however, no information is available on his defense. According to the forensics’ report, the victim was suffocated by a rope and there was no report of assault and battery. But the semi-official newspapers reported that the victim was killed by blows of a stick on his head (Ettela’at and Jomhuri Eslami newspapers). The victim was a doctor for Ahmad Khomeini, son of the late Ayatollah, whose suspicious death is widely believed caused by the Intelligent Police. Therefore, the death of this doctor is also attributed to the Intelligent Police because he had information about the death of Ahmad Khomeini.

Judgment

Branch 1603 of the Criminal Court of Tehran condemned Mr. Ehsan (Ebrahim) Kaheh to death for murder, and to 10 years imprisonment and 74 lashes for robbery. The Supreme Court confirmed the ruling. He was hanged, along with three others, at the Qasr Prison yard in Tehran on May 15, 2002.

The other defendant of this case was also condemned to death. Mr. Kaheh’ mother was condemned to 4 years imprisonment and 40 lashes for possession of stolen property, forgery, and using a forged document. His two sisters were also condemned to one-year imprisonment, one of them to a suspended imprisonment. 

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