Iran Hangs Woman For Stabbing Her Alleged Rapist
Despite international calls for reprieve, Iran has hanged a woman for the murder of a man human rights groups say sexually assaulted her. According to Reuters, 26-year-old Reyhaneh Jabbari was executed Saturday morning for the the 2007 killing of a Morteza Abdolali Sarbandi, concluding what Amnesty International called "a deeply flawed investigation and trial."
As might be expected, many details surrounding the case are unclear or disputed, but the account provided by the United Nation's Office for Human Rights paints a chilling picture:
According to reliable sources, Mr. Sarbandi offered to hire Ms. Jabbari on 7 July 2007 to redesign his office. Mr. Sarbandi arranged to take Ms. Jabbari to his office, but instead took her to a residence where he physically and sexually forced himself upon her. Ms. Jabbari reportedly stabbed Mr. Sarbandi in the shoulder in self-defense, fled for safety, and called for an ambulance out of concern for her alleged attacker.
When Sarbandi was later found dead, Amnesty International says Jabbari was arrested and held in solitary confinement for two months, confessing to the crime under what a U.N. official characterized as "duress possibly amounting to torture."
Earlier this month, Sarbandi's family was given 10 days to pardon Jabbari and halt her execution, an offer they refused. At that time, Justice Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi expressed hope "for a good ending to the case."
[Image via AP]