Rush To Judgment And Death In Iran

As if we needed yet another example of Iran's brutal treatment of human beings and disregard of its own laws-- come reports of the dubious conviction and rushed execution of Kurdish activist Ehsan Fattahian.

Fattahian was a member of Komalah, a Marxist opposition group that has been active against the central government in Tehran since the 1960s. He was arrested on July 20, 2008, in Kamyaran in Kurdistan and charged with "working with armed opposition groups." He was put on trial by the Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj. Like most political trials in Iran, the entire proceedings were behind closed doors and without an independent jury, in direct violation of Article 168 of Iran's Constitution. He was also denied an attorney, another violation of law. Fattahian denied all charges against him.

The Revolutionary Court sentenced Fattahian to 10 years in prison. The Appeals Court overturned the initial verdict, but instead of reducing the sentence or ordering a new trial, the Court sentenced Fattahian to death (another violation of Iranian law).

All appeals made to the Islamic Republic by international organizations (as well as his family) not to execute the young man, were ignored. Fattahian never accepted the charges against him, even though there were reports that he had been tortured to confess. He was transferred to solitary confinement on November 10, and was not even allowed to see his family one last time before being executed, which, beside being cruel, is against Islamic tradition.

The circumstances surrounding Fattahian's execution are suspicious. Not only was his family not allowed to see him one last time before the execution, his body was never returned to his family, despite an official announcement to the contrary.

Human rights advocate Shirin Ebadi, a lawyer who won the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, winner, has called the circumstances of Fattahian's execution and burial unusual. In an interview, Ebadi called the execution of Fattahian "rushed" and "unprecedented." She said she found it highly objectionable that his family was not allowed to meet with him before his execution. Ebadi said the haste to bury Fattahian was another reason for "further suspicion." It is very unusual that they [the government] want to execute someone in such a rush that they do not let his family meet him on his last night," she said. "This is a very unusual approach that raises more suspicion about the real cause of death."