Nazanin Afshin-Jam and Nazanin Fatehi
Nazanin Fatehi went through her re-trial today in Iran. In her first trial she was sentenced to death by hanging for the death of a man she had stabbed when he and two other men attempted to rape her and her neice. She was granted a second trial because international attention was brought to the case through the efforts of a former Miss Canada, Nazanin Afshin-Jam.Unfortunately, the plight of Nazanin Fatehi is not uncommon in Ahmadinejad's Iran. The role of women has not only be devalued, but their plight in Iran is horrific. They are not allowed to be raped and they are not allowed to defend themselves when they are raped. Either way, they are condemned to death. When they are hanged, they are left hanging as an example to other women. They are executed for 'crimes against chastity'.
The value of a woman's life in Iran is half that of a man's in terms of blood money, and her testimony in court is also worth half that of a man. [source]
Seventeen-year-old Nazanin Fatehi and her 16-year-old neice had met their boyfriends to ride motorcycles. They were sitting in a park when three men approached them and began to be aggressive towards the girls. The two boyfriends fled the scene, leaving the two girls to fend for themselves. When the men tore off Nazanin's head scarf and dress she started stabbing them. When she got free of the men, she grabbed her neice and fled.She was charged with and convicted of murder and sentenced to death by public hanging. In her re-trial today the judges determined that the previous finding of the court was in error and therefore that the death of the would-be rapist was not intentional. This is wonderful news. But the disposition of the case is still not determined and Nazanin Fatehi remains in prision. No one seems to know how the judges will decide her fate for what they have determined was not an intentional killing.
Many girls in similar situations in Iran have been publically hung. The difference in this case seems to be the international attention and pressure on the Iranian government.
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For more information on Nazanin:
The Tale of Two Nazains
Save Nazanin
Help Nazanin
Senator Sam Brownback calls for the U.S. and the U.N. to address the plight of women in Iran.
Online Petition
Nazanin Fatehi leaves a message for her mother
crossposted: Blue Star Chronicles
Labels: executions, Iran, iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Nazanin Afshin-Jam, Nazanin Fatehi
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