Tag: Islamic Law

Sentence Alternatives to Prison, Such as Purchasing Supplies for Under-Equipped Schools, Introduced in Urmia

Posted on by A MN
News, Other, Uncategorized
alternative sentencing, Branch 119, Islamic Law, Islamic penal code, Kagar Online, restorative sentencing, Sharia law, Urmia, Urmia prison

The head of Branch 119 of the Criminal Court of Urmia recently announced that the county’s criminal justice system is introducing a number of sentence alternatives to prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kargar Online, the judicial official has sentenced several men to purchase educational supplies internet packages and cell phones for school children in poor areas instead of serving time.

It is worth mentioning that Chapter 9 of the new enactment of the Islamic penal code has also highlighted similar alternative sentences.

Accordingly, under certain conditions and with the defendant’s consent, judges may enact these kinds of alternative sentences.

Security Forces Arrest Three Christian Converts in Rasht

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News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Ahmad Sarparast, Ayub Pour Rezazadeh, Christian converts, Citizens arrested, Citizens detained, Freedom of religion, irgc, Islamic Law, Morteza Hajeb Mashhoud Kari, Pur Rezazadeh, Rasht, Religious Minorities, Religious persecution, Saparast

On Sunday, September 5, Christian converts Ahmad Sarparast, Ayub Pour Rezazadeh, and Morteza Hajeb Mashhoud Kari were arrested by security forces in Rasht and taken to an unknown location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activist, Mr. Sarparast and Mr. Pour Rezazadeh were detained in a house church. Security forces raided the homes of these citizens and confiscated some of their belongings, including cell phones, books, and pamphlets related to Christianity. According to an informed source, the agents behaved violently and insultingly and refused to show arrest or search warrants.

Relatives of these citizens are said to have been threatened by IRGC intelligence agents for providing information about the condition of their loved ones. Also, one of their relatives along with several other members of the house church were summoned to the Rasht IRGC Intelligence Office and interrogated.

According to a source close to the families of these citizens, after their families went to Branch 4 of the Rasht Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office to follow up on the case, they were not given any answer and were told, “Do not follow up. They will not be released any time soon. They do not deserve freedom and must stay.”

25-year-old Ahmad (Yohanna) Sarparast, 28-year-old Ayub (Farzin) Pour Rezazadeh, and 38-year-old Morteza Hajeb Mashhoud Kari are residents of Rasht.

Even though Christians are recognized as a religious minority under Islamic law, the security services nevertheless pursue the issue of Muslims converting to Christianity with particular sensitivity and deal harshly with activists in this field.

The Iranian regime targets Christian converts despite Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which state that every individual has the right to freedom of religion and belief and freedom to express it openly or secretly.

As of this writing, the reasons for the arrest, the charges against them, and the whereabouts of these citizens are unknown.

Prisoner who was Sentenced to Death Based Solely on Qassameh (Swearing) in Imminent Danger of Execution

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News
Ali Mardan Boland Gerami, Death Penalty, Death sentence, Execution, Gerami, Islamic Law, Qassameh, Sharia law, Yasuj, Yasuj Central Prison

Ali Mardan Boland Gerami, a citizen of Yasuj, is on the verge of execution despite a clear lack of sufficient evidence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Gerami’s sentence is based only on “Qassameh”.  Qassameh is an accepted form of proof of guilt within Iran’s legal system based solely on relatives’ oaths.

Mr. Gerami was sentenced to death for murdering his wife while the court did not find adequate evidence, it made the ruling based on the swearing of the family of the wife.

After filing the appeal request, the case was referred to a court of equal rank where the death sentence was confirmed. The Supreme Court also upheld the sentence. Mr. Gerami’s case has been transferred to the Judgment Enforcement Unit and now he is on the verge of execution.

“Six days ago, the death sentence was supposed to carry out, but the family was able to get more time,” an informed source said. “This opportunity will end tomorrow and he may be executed at any moment.”

Swearing (Qasameh) is one way, within the Islamic jurisprudence and criminal law in Iran, to prove crimes related to murder and physical injuries when there is no enough evidence against the suspect. In case of premeditated murder, the relatives of a plaintiff must bring 50 relatives to the court to swear an oath that the defendant is guilty. The number is 25 for unpremeditated murder.

Husband Confesses to Murder of 14-Year-Old Mobina Souri

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Children, News, Women
child marriages, Domestic Violence, honor killing, honor killings, Islamic Law, Mobina Souri, Sexual Assault, Souri, Violence Against Women, Women

Five days after news broke of the death of 14-year-old Mobina Souri, her husband confessed to having committed the murder. Souri is the victim of  what is classified under Islamic Law as an “honor killing”.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, “honor crimes” or “honor killings” are acts of assault or murder, usually towards women and usually committed by male relatives.

Under Islamic Law, in murder cases where the (usually-female) victim has been accused of “disgracing the family’s honor”, exemptions and sentence reductions are frequently granted to the murderers.

The scope of the ways “disgracing family honor” can be defined is extremely broad; women and girls can be accused for being victims of rape, getting a divorce (even from an abusive husband), committing adultery, or being suspected of having sexual relations before marriage.

14-year-old Mobina was also a victim of child marriage and was married to the young cleric in her village who ultimately killed her. The other suspects were released after the husband confessed.

 

14-Year-Old Mobina Murdered in Lorestan in what Islamic Penal Code Classifies as “Honor Killing”

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Children, Cultural, News, Women
honor crime, honor killing, Islamic Law, Lorestan, Lorestan province, Mobina, Suri, Violence Against Women

On Monday, August 30, 14-year-old Mobina, who was from the Suri area of Lorestan Province was murdered by a family member in what is classified under Islamic Law as an “honor killing”.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna, Mobina was the victim of a child marriage who was married to a young cleric in her village. She was murdered after relatives presumed she had an affair.

Under Islamic Law, in murder cases where the (usually-female) victim has been accused of  “disgracing the family’s honor”, exemptions and sentence reductions are frequently granted to the murderers.

“The murder happened due to family disputes, and the accused has been identified and arrested,” said the Lorestan police chief. “He is one of the relatives of the victim.”

“Honor crimes” or “honor killings” are acts of assault or murder, usually towards women and usually committed by male relatives.

The scope of the ways “disgracing family honor” can be defined is extremely broad; women can be accused for being victims of rape, getting a divorce (even from an abusive husband), committing adultery, or even just having sexual relations before marriage.

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Christian Converts Amin Khaki, Milad Goodarzi, and Alireza Nourmohammadi Sentenced to a Total of 9 Years in Prison

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News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Alborz Court of Appeals, Alireza Nourmohammadi, Amin Khaki, Christian converts, Islamic Law, Karaj, Milad Goodarzi, Religious persecution

On Sunday, August 22, Branch 12 of the Alborz Court of Appeals sentenced Amin Khaki, Milad Goodarzi, and Alireza Nourmohammadi, three Christian converts, to a total of nine years in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Mohabbat News, in their first trial in June this year, Amin Khaki, Milad Goodarzi, and Alireza Nourmohammadi were each sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and fined 40 million Tomans, by the Fourth Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Karaj, on charges of propaganda and catechizing deviant against the holy Sharia of Islam.

Despite the fact that Christians are recognized as a religious minority under Islamic law, the security services nevertheless pursue the issue of Muslims converting to Christianity with particular sensitivity and deal harshly with activists in this field.

The Iranian regime targets Christian converts despite Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which state that every individual has the right to freedom of religion and belief and freedom to express it openly or secretly.

Man Acquitted for a Murder that was Ordered by his Father with Consent of Victim’s Father

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Cultural, News, Prisoners
father, Islamic Law, Islamic penal code, Islamic regime, murder, rightful parent, Tehran

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna, a man in Tehran who had killed a young man at the request of father was acquitted of severe punishments with the consent of the victim’s father.

Under the laws of the Islamic Republic, the father, as the “rightful parent”, is spared serious punishment in the event of murder or complicity in the murder of their child. This issue has long been criticized by critics of the current laws in the country. In some cases, fathers have committed murders after finding out that a father is safe from severe punishment for the murder of their own child in Iran.

On this subject, the former head of the Tehran Criminal Court stated, “According to the Islamic Penal Code, the mother will be punished more severely than the murderer father under the heading of ‘complicity in murder of child’. Based on Article 127 of the Islamic Penal Code, fathers will be sentenced to between 3 and 10 years imprisonment while it is 15 years for the mothers.

Baha’i Citizen Sanaz Notghi Sentenced to 5 years and 8 Months in Prison

Posted on by admin-hr
Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Baha'i, Baha'i citizens in Iran, Baha'i persecution, Citizen arrests, Islamic Law, Religious Minorities, Religious persecution, Sanaz Notghi, Sanaz Notqi

Baha’i citizen Sanaz Notghi was sentenced to 5 years and 8 months in prison by the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court on a charge of “membership in an illegal Baha’i organization” and to eight months in prison on a charge of “propaganda against the regime”.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, if  the sentence is upheld at the appeal court, with the application of Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code,  5 years of imprisonment will be applicable as the most severe punishment for Ms. Notghi.

According to unofficial sources, more than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but the Iranian constitution recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Because their faith is not considered legitimate by authorities, the rights of Baha’is in Iran have been systematically violated for years.

This deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a violation of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations covenant holds that every person has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of converting religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly.

Middle-Aged Man at Risk of Execution for Drinking Alcohol

Posted on by admin-hr
Executions, Prisoners
Alcohol, Alcohol consumption, Death sentence, Haram, Islamic Law, Request for execution, Shariah Law, Tehran, Tehran Province

A middle-aged man who was arrested for a fourth time on charges of drinking alcohol has been confronted with a request for execution by the prosecutor’s representative.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Iran Newspaper, the man has been arrested three times before and has endured a total of 240 lashes for drinking. Alcohol consumption is haram (forbidden)  in Islam, and is punishable under Islamic Law.

According to the report, the investigation of the case began earlier this year with a plea from one of the accused man’s neighbors.

The indictment was sent to the Fourth Branch of the Criminal Court of Tehran Province where the representative of the prosecutor requested the man’s execution.

The prosecutor has also requested punishment for the defendant for contempt, and for damaging the police station.