This morning, 26-year old Reyhaneh Jabbari was executed by the Iranian government on charges of murder. In 2007, Jabbari was arrested for the murder of Morteza Abdolali Sarbandi, a former employee of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence. But there is more to the story. For seven years Jabbari pleaded her case, stating that Sarbandi had attempted to rape her. The killing was an act of self-defense. The prosecution argued that the act had been premeditated and that she had bought a knife purposefully with the intent of killing Sarbandi.
Jabbari was officially sentenced to death by a criminal court in Tehran in 2009. This sparked outrage throughout the international community. Amnesty International stated that the trial was, "deeply flawed."
Jabbari admitted to the stabbing but also claimed that another man had been in the house and was responsible. According to Amnesty International, her claims were never properly investigated.
Despite pleas from various human rights organizations, the execution date was set and Jabbari was hung at dawn.
Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa Programme stated, "The shocking news that Reyhaneh Jabbari has been executed is deeply disappointing in the extreme. This is another bloody stain on Iran's human rights record. Tragically this case is far from uncommon. Once again Iran has insisted on applying the death penalty despite serious concerns over the fairness of the trial."
A woman has been executed for defending herself against rape. The trial was highly skewed against her. Newly elected President Hassan Rouhani failed to address the issue as well as the Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini, who had the power to reprieve the case.
This execution is an outrage. It reveals that women cannot even defend themselves from assault without facing consequences. Rest in Peace Reyhaneh Jabbari and may your death not be in vain, but a message of justice for all the women of the world.
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