Reyhaneh Jabbari, the story of an Iranian woman and our united struggle against the misogynist regime ruling Iran
Ms. Sholeh Pakravan, mother of Reyhaneh Jabbari, a prisoner on death row announced on September 29, 2014 that her daughter was transferred to Rajai Shahr prison for execution.
“The Rajai Shahr prison authorities admitted and said you can come to get your daughter’s body tomorrow” she said.
Reyhaneh Jabbari, 26, imprisoned for over seven years on charges of premeditated murder had stressed in every court session that she only stroke the victims shoulder with a knife once in self-defense against sexual assault.
Reyhaneh Jabbari, 26, an architect and decorator has been in prison for the last seven and a half years ago when she used a cold weapon to defend herself against a former agent of the Intelligence Ministry by the name of Morteza Sarbandi. In a deceptive scheme, this intelligence agent intended to rape Reyhaneh, forcing her to defend herself. The scuffle led to the murder of the regime’s intelligence agent. The henchmen of the clerical regime placed Reyhaneh under savage torture to extract a forced confession.
Human rights activists mobilized their efforts to halt the execution following news that the mullahs’ regime’s henchmen secretly transferred Ms. Jabbari from Qerchak of Varamin prison to solitary confinement in Gohardasht Prison on the afternoon of Monday, September 29, 2014. Prisoners who are to be executed are usually transferred the night before their execution to the solitary confinements in Gohardasht to be hanged the next morning. It is said that the reason she has been secretly transferred was to prevent protests by other prisoners. Following a call from Reyhaneh to her mother, her mother along with some 50 of her relatives, friends and human rights activists gathered outside Gohardasht Prison in Karaj. This gathering continued until the protesters were certain Reyhaneh was returned to Gharchak Varamin Prison.
Amnesty International wrote, “Reyhaneh Jabbari was sentenced to death in 2009 after a deeply flawed investigation and trial which failed to examine all of the evidence …This abhorrent execution must not be allowed to take place”
The US State Department expressed concerns about Reyhaneh Jabbari’s status. US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in an issued statement, “We are deeply troubled by reports that Iranian authorities are finalizing plans to execute Reyhaneh Jabbari ،an Iranian woman convicted of killing a man she said she stabbed in self-defense during a sexual assault. Such an execution would mark a severe violation of the fair trial guarantees afforded to Ms. Jabbari under Iranian law and Iran’s international obligations.”
Ahmed Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, called on Tehran to stop the execution of Reyhaneh Jabbari and expressed deep concern about her unfair prosecution and forced confessions.
Facing international pressures and general protests, the mullahs’ regime retreated that same night and returned Reyhaneh to Gharchak Varamin Prison. Reyhaneh’s father Fereidoon Jabbari said, “Today we were first told that Reyhaneh was transferred to Gohardasht Prison to carry out her ruling. However, they then said she is not to be executed.”
Reyhaneh’s lawyer said the next day, “Currently her dossier has been sent to the office assigned to implement court rulings. However, there are no orders assigned in this case.” State-run Iran daily wrote, “The Jabbari family has received a ten-day deadline to gain the pardon of the victim’s family.”
Egyptian ‘Lola Press’ website described the entire story as such, “Iranian women are witnessing their rights being violated more and more each year, in a way that little by little women have become second-class citizens. The significant and important issue is that Iranian women played a major role in the 1979 revolution and their significant role in the continuation of this revolution is very vivid. The Iranian regime has this in mind and is seeking to limit or paralyze this role or completely destroy it, especially since it is witnessing itself that in the most important and largest Iranian dissident group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), women have the main leadership roles. Therefore, this regime attempts to change the situation and equation in order to sideline Iranian women with the aim to guarantee the security and survival of its repressive rule.”
Join the call to save Reyhaneh Jabbari from execution. Click here
#saveReyhanehJabbari
