Save Nazanin

[solarbird]

Iranian authorities have convicted a now-18-year-old woman on a charge of murder and sentenced her to death in a case she describes as self-defense against a would-be rapist. She was 17 at the time. The judge disregarded her testimony of self-defense; under Iranian law, a woman's testimony is only worth one-half that of a male witness. Her two male friends were busy running away, so did not see the actual event, but their testimony appears to have been held as contradictory to hers, and because they are men, superiour. The judge also brought in assertions that the medical examiner reported she was not a virgin, and, if the translation of the original article is correct, held that over her head - as well as allegations that she had run away from home. However, the judge's opinion that she was a "bad girl" appears to be clear in the only original-source translated newspaper article I have been able to find.

Her name is Nazanin Mahabad Fatehi, and if the Supreme Court of Iran confirms the lower court's decision, they will execute her shortly afterwards. Here is Amnesty International's writeup of this and several other teen-death-penalty cases, all of which they are protesting.

This website lists action items. Mostly at this point people are hoping for protests from enough other countries that she is not executed. If you are going to do something, do it soon. Her case is reportedly up for review this week.