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 S.

About

Age: 32
Nationality: Unknown
Religion: Unknown
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: January 30, 2008
Location of Killing: Evin Prison, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Murder
Age at time of alleged offense: 23

About this Case

The execution of Mr. Mohammad Abedini Sar, along with four other people, was reported by Fars News Service and ISCA News, on January 30, 2008.  In these sources, his name is given as “Mohammad S.”.  Additional information about this case has been gathered from the Human Rights Activists for Democracy Weblog (January 29, 2008).

Mr. Abedini Sar was 32 years old, lived in Tehran, and his job was taxi driving.

His case was related to the murder of one of his passengers, in the vicinity of Islam Shahr, on August 13, 1998.

Arrest and detention

Sometime after August 1998, Mr. Abedini Sar was arrested by police, while he was cashing some traveler’s checks.  He spent nine years in prison.

Trial

Branch 74 of the Criminal Court of Tehran Province tried Mr. Abedini Sar. No information is available on this trial.

Charges

The charge brought against Mr. Abedini Sar was “murder in the first degree”.  He was accused of killing one of his passengers, with the intent of stealing his money.

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 offenses, 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 traveler’s checks found on Mr. Abedini, at the time of his arrest, were entered as evidence against him.  During police investigations, he confessed to the murder.

According to available information, he said he had started talking with his passenger.  During the conversation, he realized that the man was carrying a large amount of traveler’s checks.  He was tempted to steal these, and that was why he killed the man.

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

No information is available on Mr. Abedini Sar’s defense.

Judgment

The court sentenced Mr. Mohammad Abedini Sar to death by hanging (retaliation for taking a life).  One day before his execution, he was taken from Raja’i Shahr Prison to Evin Prison.

Mr. Abedini Sar was executed, along with several other people, on January 30, 2008, in Evin Prison.

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