Bubbalicious
02-02-2007, 04:56 PM
Islamic Court Frees Iranian Teen From Death Sentence Following International Campaign Waged by Former Miss Canada (http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-31-2007/0004517427&EDATE)
TEHRAN, Iran, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- After two grueling years in
prison, Iranian teen Nazanin Fatehi was released today and spared from her
original death sentence following an international campaign spearheaded by
former Miss World Canada Nazanin Afshin-Jam.
Emotions ran high at the entrance gate of Evin prison, where
19-year-old Nazanin Fatehi was greeted by supporters and reunited with her
family. Nazanin had a very emotional reunion with her family members. She
could not believe that this day had arrived. She cried in her mother's arms
and embraced her siblings and father.
After she finished greeting her family, Nazanin's lawyer, Mr.
Mostafaei, said that she told him that she now wants to go to school and
study hard to get her life back. Soon after, Mr. Mostafaei got a phone call
from some of the inmates who Nazanin met and they told him they missed her
already. Her freedom was granted a few days after the required 400 million
rials (approximately $43,000 USD) bail money was handed over to the court.
Most of the bail payment was raised by HelpNazanin.com, a web site
created by pop singer and human rights activist Nazanin Afshin-Jam. Some
donations were collected in Iran, as well as a generous donation from
Canadian Member of Parliament Belinda Stronach.
Fatehi was initially sentenced to death for murder by a court in Iran
after she stabbed, in self-defense, one of three men who attempted to rape
her and her 15-year-old niece in a park in Karaj, a suburb of Tehran, in
March 2005. She was 17 at the time.
On June 1, 2006, following extensive international pressure and media
coverage, Iranian Head of Judiciary Ayatollah Shahroudi announced a stay of
execution and a new trial. During the new trial on January 10, 2007, the
five judges presiding over the case found inconsistencies with the
testimonies of the male witnesses and unanimously overturned the charge of
premeditated murder.
Although the court recognized that Fatehi acted in self defense, it
ruled that excessive force was used. Therefore, the court asked Fatehi to
pay "diyeh" (blood money) to compensate the family of the deceased -- a
judgment that her lawyers, Shadi Sadr and Mr. Mostafaei, vehemently oppose
and will appeal.
Bodog Music recording artist Nazanin Afshin-Jam's relentless year-long
campaign to save the life of her namesake included a petition signed by
345,000 people, numerous speeches and rallies worldwide and months on the
media circuit. With the help of Mina Ahadi, head of the International
Committee Against Execution, Afshin-Jam engaged and received support from
Amnesty International, Canadian Members of Parliament, the European Union
and the United Nations. Afshin-Jam also hosted "The Tale of Two Nazanins,"
a documentary funded and produced by the Calvin Ayre Foundation.
"I spoke with Nazanin Fatehi this morning. She's in good spirits and
wanted me to pass on the message of how thankful she is for everyone's
support," Nazanin Afshin-Jam said. "We're thrilled that she is free and
reunited with her family. We must not forget the 23 other juveniles
currently on death row in Iran. Iran is a signatory to the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and also the Charter of the Rights
of the Child, which forbid the execution of persons under the age of 18,
although Iran continues to do so. We must get to the root of the problem
and put pressure on the Iranian officials to change the laws once and for
all."
To find out more about the case of Nazanin Mahabad Fatehi, see
http://www.helpnazanin.com.
TEHRAN, Iran, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- After two grueling years in
prison, Iranian teen Nazanin Fatehi was released today and spared from her
original death sentence following an international campaign spearheaded by
former Miss World Canada Nazanin Afshin-Jam.
Emotions ran high at the entrance gate of Evin prison, where
19-year-old Nazanin Fatehi was greeted by supporters and reunited with her
family. Nazanin had a very emotional reunion with her family members. She
could not believe that this day had arrived. She cried in her mother's arms
and embraced her siblings and father.
After she finished greeting her family, Nazanin's lawyer, Mr.
Mostafaei, said that she told him that she now wants to go to school and
study hard to get her life back. Soon after, Mr. Mostafaei got a phone call
from some of the inmates who Nazanin met and they told him they missed her
already. Her freedom was granted a few days after the required 400 million
rials (approximately $43,000 USD) bail money was handed over to the court.
Most of the bail payment was raised by HelpNazanin.com, a web site
created by pop singer and human rights activist Nazanin Afshin-Jam. Some
donations were collected in Iran, as well as a generous donation from
Canadian Member of Parliament Belinda Stronach.
Fatehi was initially sentenced to death for murder by a court in Iran
after she stabbed, in self-defense, one of three men who attempted to rape
her and her 15-year-old niece in a park in Karaj, a suburb of Tehran, in
March 2005. She was 17 at the time.
On June 1, 2006, following extensive international pressure and media
coverage, Iranian Head of Judiciary Ayatollah Shahroudi announced a stay of
execution and a new trial. During the new trial on January 10, 2007, the
five judges presiding over the case found inconsistencies with the
testimonies of the male witnesses and unanimously overturned the charge of
premeditated murder.
Although the court recognized that Fatehi acted in self defense, it
ruled that excessive force was used. Therefore, the court asked Fatehi to
pay "diyeh" (blood money) to compensate the family of the deceased -- a
judgment that her lawyers, Shadi Sadr and Mr. Mostafaei, vehemently oppose
and will appeal.
Bodog Music recording artist Nazanin Afshin-Jam's relentless year-long
campaign to save the life of her namesake included a petition signed by
345,000 people, numerous speeches and rallies worldwide and months on the
media circuit. With the help of Mina Ahadi, head of the International
Committee Against Execution, Afshin-Jam engaged and received support from
Amnesty International, Canadian Members of Parliament, the European Union
and the United Nations. Afshin-Jam also hosted "The Tale of Two Nazanins,"
a documentary funded and produced by the Calvin Ayre Foundation.
"I spoke with Nazanin Fatehi this morning. She's in good spirits and
wanted me to pass on the message of how thankful she is for everyone's
support," Nazanin Afshin-Jam said. "We're thrilled that she is free and
reunited with her family. We must not forget the 23 other juveniles
currently on death row in Iran. Iran is a signatory to the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and also the Charter of the Rights
of the Child, which forbid the execution of persons under the age of 18,
although Iran continues to do so. We must get to the root of the problem
and put pressure on the Iranian officials to change the laws once and for
all."
To find out more about the case of Nazanin Mahabad Fatehi, see
http://www.helpnazanin.com.