A Kurdish human rights organization has reported the names of twelve women detained on death row in the women’s ward of the Central Prison of Urmia. All 12 women are convicted of deliberate murder. Their names are:
Mohabbat Mahmoudi, from Urmia; Zahra Farhadi, from Urmia; Parisa Moradi, from Bukan; Nishteman Mohammadi, from Sardasht; Golzar Ahmadian, from Sardasht; Faranak Beheshti, from Takab; Soheila Nematzadeh, from Miandoab; Mojgan Abdollahi, from Mahabad; Zeinab Khaled, from Sardasht; Mojgan Azarpisheh, from Urmia; Tahmineh Danesh, from Khoy; Ziba, from Bukan.
The Iranian Judiciary does not categorize murder charges. It categorically hands down the death penalty for murder convicts regardless of their motivation. Nevertheless, many women executed or sentenced to death on the charge of murder were victims of domestic violence and acted in self-defense.
At least 116 women have been executed during Hassan Rouhani’s tenure as the mullahs’ president.
A case in point
Mohabbat Mahmoudi, 64 with five children, has been detained on death row for 20 years.
She has been deprived of furlough for 18 years.
Mohabbat Mahmoudi was arrested on April 21, 2001, on the charge of murdering a man who had trespassed into her house. Armed with a knife, he intended to rape her.
She was arrested and detained in the Central Prison of Urmia since then. She went on furlough only once for several days 18 years ago.
On the day of the incident, Mohabbat and her daughter-in-law were home. At 8 a.m. Hatam Mahmoudi Gonbadi, the victim, armed with a knife broke into their house intending to rape them. He stabbed Mohabbat three times in the side and abdomen. He refused to leave the house. So, Mohabbat pointed a gun at him. She shot him inadvertently, and he died.
When police officers came to the scene, the knife was still in the hand of the victim. Nevertheless, the court sentenced Ms. Mahmoudi to death.
The victim had two wives and 16 children.
