Free Shahla Jaahed, At Risk Of Execution In Iran

Shahla Jaahed has been imprisoned in Evin prison in a special women’s unit where she’s been living with nightmares for eight years. In the past few days her execution order was confirmed by Larijani, the head of Islamic Judiciary, and the order has now been sent to the Criminal Court, which means Shahla could be executed any day!

Shahla was a nurse. She fell in love with a famous Iranian footballer, Naser Mohammad-Khani. The two of them started living together and began their hidden life together in Tehran. Naser however was married to another woman, Laleh Saharkhizan, at the same time. Laleh was murdered in Tehran on 9 October 2002, and while Naser was away in Germany, Shahla was arrested and convicted of the killing.

Even before any appropriate investigation took place, the Islamic Republic media announced her guilt and named her as the murderer. The interrogation, along with torture soon commenced. A few years ago, Shahla recounted: “the interrogation lasted for weeks. They did all they could to me, they tortured until I wished I was dead, and on occasions, and until they forced me to confess and sign what they dictated. They even threatened to bring in a little girl from my family, who is like a daughter to me, and hurt her if I did not comply. I did all they asked and confessed. After the torture, in the courts, I protested and retracted my confession; I told them I am not the murderer, but no one would listen to me.”

Shala’s lawyer, Abdulsamad Khoramshahi, has always emphasised that the case has ten legal errors: the half smoked cigarette found in the scene was given as evidence, while Shahla does not smoke; the stabbings were done by a left handed person, while Shahla is right handed; the body was washed and dressed in clean clothes after the killing, something Shahla would be unable to do. The whole investigation was not clear and transparent, the search for evidence was not done with formality, many leads were left unattended, many witnesses and those with information did not show up in court and nothing was done scientifically! However, they were quick to come to the conclusion! Later the result from forensic examination showed Laleh was raped before she was murdered.