 Mino Hemati : Hello, my name is Mino Hemati, and I am calling from Rahai Zan TV. Is it possible for me to speak with the father or mother of Reza Hejazi concerning their son’s case? Hossein Hejazi : My name is Hossaine. I am Reza’s older brother and am willing to speak with you. My mother and father are not emotionally ready to talk about the matter at this time. Mino Hemati : I understand, thank you. You are the brother of Reza Hejazi the boy who was convicted of an underage crime and is now sentenced to death. If you could, please tell us when and how you found out that Reza is going to be executed? Hossein Hejazi : Reza was 13 when the incident happened. Seven or eight other people were also involved, Reza was not alone. Even though the others had committed the stabbing, they were all able to afford expensive lawyers to free them, and my brother was the only one convicted. Now they call us a few hours before and inform us that tomorrow morning Reza will be executed. What can we possibly do in these next few hours? We have been calling all around, to his lawyer and people that we know that could possibly help us; we have nothing to offer but our own house that we can sell and give the money. My brother was just a child of 13 when he was convicted, and now that he is 18 they are going to execute him. |
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Saeed Jazee's death sentence has been approved by the Head of the Judiciary. The family of the victim still have the power to pardon him, but if they choose not to then he will be in imminent danger of execution. Saeed Jazee, a sculptor, is held in a young offenders centre in Karaj, Tehran Province. He was convicted of the murder of a 22-year-old man, which took place in 2003 when he was 17 years old, and sentenced to qesas (retribution). The Supreme Court rejected his appeal, and his case was sent for final approval to the Head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi. The killing apparently took place after Saeed Jazee had gone to a friend’s sandwich shop, helped himself to a sandwich and started eating it. The 22-year-old man, who had just started working at the shop and did not know Saeed, started arguing with him about the sandwich and attacked him with a kitchen knife. During the scuffle, the knife fell to the floor and Saeed picked it up at the same time as the man charged at him and was wounded in the process. Saeed Jazee and the other employees in the shop tried to help him. During the trial, the shop's other employees stated that the killing had been accidental. Saeed Jazee has repeatedly stated that the killing was not intentional. |
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Dear Friends, Unfortunately I was not able to participate in this important event in person. It has been several years now that I have been actively involved in exposing the cultural and religious backing of the crime of so called honour killing of women in Islamic and backward tribal societies. It is heart breaking to report these crimes and it is even harder to describe the brutality of brain washed family member against their daughters and wives. But my experience in exposing these crimes through visual media, such as Television shows, resolutions and conferences are necessary but not enough, we need to have plan of action to change situation on the ground. We need to engage the youth through university & high school student associations both in the west and in the land of origin. We need to engage University professors and high school teachers to promote debates among students, to find path ways to challenge the backward criminal tribal and religious cultures in regards to respect to human life in general and women’s life in particular.We need to challenge these reactionary and barbaric traditions in its strong hold, the family, this should break the cycle of poisoning the minds of young boys to become future killers of their sisters or other loved ones. At the same time, we need to pressure governments both locally and internationally to pass laws to protect women’s lives from perpetrators (“honour” killers), also to arrest and prosecute any one who attempts committing such a crime. I will promote these ideas through my weekly TV Program Rahai Zan , (Emancipation of Women TCV Program) via satellite covering North America, Europe and Middle East for our Farsi speaking audience. I wish you the best and success in fighting this uphill battle.I would like to thanks Houzan Mahmood and her colleagues for organizing this important events. Best Wishes Mino Hemati Producer / Anchor of weekly TV program: Rahai Zan Friday, April 11, 2008 http://www.Rahai-Zan.tv |
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Niusha Boghrati
Worldpress.org correspondent
April 15, 2008
| (Photo: C.I.A. World Factbook) |
"I am a murderer!" The young voice trembled on the other side of the telephone line. "I was 15 when I committed the murder. I regret what I did. It was an accident. Please save me! I want to live. I want to be free. I am living the last days of my life. Any day now they may take me to the noose. I want to survive. Is there anybody there who can save me?"
The short conversation fades into the distant tumult of Adel Abad Prison in Shiraz, a city in southwest-central Iran, where Behnam Zare' has been awaiting execution for three years.
In the spring of 2005, Behnam was a freshman in high school when a scuffle over pet pigeons broke out between him and his friend Mehrdad. Minutes later, Behnam had become his buddy's murderer. He says he still has no recollection of how it really happened.Behnam, still a minor at the time he was arrested, landed in prison. Not long after the judicial process began he was convicted of murder in the primary court and sentenced to death."We tried hard to reverse the death sentence during the past three years. But all the efforts have so far been in vain," said defense lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei, who advocates Behnam's case. "In spite of every effort we made, the verdict has been approved both by the High Court of the Islamic Republic, and the head of Iran's judiciary." |
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Iran judicial chief to approve public executions: |
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