posted October 27, 2014 11:28 PM            

A 26 year old Iranian lady was hanged for supposedly killing a man (former intelligence officer) who tried to rape her, while she maintained she only stabbed him out of self defense and a third party had killed him.

She was only 19 when convicted back in 2007, but her final letter letter reveals the courage and wisdom she had earned while in prison despite her young age.

Here's her last letter to her mother before the execution:

Dear Sholeh, today I learnt that it is now my turn to face Qisas [the Iranian regime's law of retribution]. I am hurt as to why you did not let me know yourself that I have reached the last page of the book of my life. Don't you think that I should know? You know how ashamed I am that you are sad. Why did you not take the chance for me to kiss your hand and that of dad?

The world allowed me to live for 19 years. That ominous night it was I that should have been killed. My body would have been thrown in some corner of the city, and after a few days, the police would have taken you to the coroner's office to identify my body and there you would also learn that I had been raped as well. The murderer would have never been found since we don't have their wealth and their power. Then you would have continued your life suffering and ashamed, and a few years later you would have died of this suffering and that would have been that.

However, with that cursed blow the story changed. My body was not thrown aside, but into the grave of Evin Prison and its solitary wards, and now the grave-like prison of Shahr-e Ray. But give in to the fate and don't complain. You know better that death is not the end of life.

You taught me that one comes to this world to gain an experience and learn a lesson and with each birth a responsibility is put on one's shoulder. I learnt that sometimes one has to fight. I do remember when you told me that the carriage man protested the man who was flogging me, but the flogger hit the lash on his head and face that ultimately led to his death. You told me that for creating a value one should persevere even if one dies.

You taught us that as we go to school one should be a lady in face of the quarrels and complaints. Do you remember how much you underlined the way we behave? Your experience was incorrect. When this incident happened, my teachings did not help me. Being presented in court made me appear as a cold-blooded murderer and a ruthless criminal. I shed no tears. I did not beg. I did not cry my head off since I trusted the law.

But I was charged with being indifferent in face of a crime. You see, I didn't even kill the mosquitoes and I threw away the cockroaches by taking them by their antennas. Now I have become a premeditated murderer. My treatment of the animals was interpreted as being inclined to be a boy and the judge didn't even trouble himself to look at the fact that at the time of the incident I had long and polished nails.

How optimistic was he who expected justice from the judges! He never questioned the fact that my hands are not coarse like those of a sportswoman, especially a boxer. And this country that you planted its love in me never wanted me and no one supported me when under the blows of the interrogator I was crying out and I was hearing the most vulgar terms. When I shed the last sign of beauty from myself by shaving my hair I was rewarded: 11 days in solitary.

Dear Sholeh, don't cry for what you are hearing. On the first day that in the police office an old unmarried agent hurt me for my nails I understood that beauty is not looked for in this era. The beauty of looks, beauty of thoughts and wishes, a beautiful handwriting, beauty of the eyes and vision, and even beauty of a nice voice.

My dear mother, my ideology has changed and you are not responsible for it. My words are unending and I gave it all to someone so that when I am executed without your presence and knowledge, it would be given to you. I left you much handwritten material as my heritage.

However, before my death I want something from you, that you have to provide for me with all your might and in any way that you can. In fact this is the only thing I want from this world, this country and you. I know you need time for this. Therefore, I am telling you part of my will sooner. Please don't cry and listen. I want you to go to the court and tell them my request. I cannot write such a letter from inside the prison that would be approved by the head of prison; so once again you have to suffer because of me. It is the only thing that if even you beg for it I would not become upset although I have told you many times not to beg to save me from being executed.

My kind mother, dear Sholeh, the one more dear to me than my life, I don't want to rot under the soil. I don't want my eye or my young heart to turn into dust. Beg so that it is arranged that as soon as I am hanged my heart, kidney, eye, bones and anything that can be transplanted be taken away from my body and given to someone who needs them as a gift. I don't want the recipient to know my name, buy me a bouquet, or even pray for me. I am telling you from the bottom of my heart that I don't want to have a grave for you to come and mourn there and suffer. I don't want you to wear black clothing for me. Do your best to forget my difficult days. Give me to the wind to take away.

The world did not love us. It did not want my fate. And now I am giving in to it and embrace the death. Because in the court of God I will charge the inspectors, I will charge Inspector Shamlou, I will charge judge, and the judges of country's Supreme Court that beat me up when I was awake and did not refrain from harassing me. In the court of the creator I will charge Dr. Farvandi, I will charge Qassem Shabani and all those that out of ignorance or with their lies wronged me and trampled on my rights and didn't pay heed to the fact that sometimes what appears as reality is different from it.

Dear soft-hearted Sholeh, in the other world it is you and me who are the accusers and others who are the accused. Let's see what God wants. I wanted to embrace you until I die. I love you.

Reyhaneh

posted October 27, 2014 11:33 PM            

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posted October 28, 2014 02:21 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by PixieJane:
Was she actually allowed to mail this or did she sneak it to her mother while her mother visited her?

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It was actually released in the form of voice message believed to be recorded in April before the execution on 25 Oct.

The original recording (https://www.youtube.com/watchv=ZXJdMufuSO4) was in Persian, but was translated to English by the NCRI (National Council of Resistance of Iran).
http://www.ncr-iran.org/en/news/human-rights/17419-iran-text-of-reyhaneh-jabbari-s-will-in-a-voice-message-to-her-mother

And here's a statement from wiki in regards to the extensive trial:

After her arrest, Jabbari was kept in solitary confinement for two months, without access to her family or a lawyer.[5] In 2009, she was sentenced to death by a Tehran court. According to Amnesty International, Jabbari had admitted stabbing Sarbandi, but had claimed that someone else in the house had killed him.[5]
Amnesty International,[6] United Nations, European Union, and the Gatestone Institute had lobbied for her life to be spared.
Her punishment was postponed from the original April 2014 date after a global campaign to stop her execution attracted 20,000 signatures.[4]
On 29 September 2014, it was announced that her execution was imminent.[7] On October 1, 2014, it was reported that plans to execute her had been halted for the time being.[8][9] There were campaigns launched on social media to halt her execution, but Tasnim reported that Jabari's relatives failed to gain consent for a reprieve from the victim's family.[5]

posted October 28, 2014 07:46 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by PixieJane:
Was she actually allowed to mail this or did she sneak it to her mother while her mother visited her?

Heck, I'm surprised she was allowed pen and paper at all. Or that it took this long to execute her.

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VERY true. Nuclear dittos!!!!!!

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posted October 28, 2014 08:52 AM            

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posted October 28, 2014 09:36 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by seekinglight:
Amnesty International,[6] United Nations, European Union, and the Gatestone Institute had lobbied for her life to be spared.
Her punishment was postponed from the original April 2014 date after a global campaign to stop her execution attracted 20,000 signatures.

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posted October 28, 2014 10:02 AM            

They were going to kill her for converting to Christianity.

She had her baby while in shackles and the baby is deformed due to it.

I am glad people are getting educated here!

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posted October 28, 2014 10:17 AM            

If the story as presented is true-- that she was trying to defend herself against rape, conveniently had a knife on hand, stabbed her aggressor carefully so as to prevent him from dying of the wound (not sure that's possible since a person could quickly bleed out from any deep wound to the torso), and then lingered in prison and was finally killed...obviously that is unjust and horrific.

But it's a strange story to me, partly because I don't know her life and the customs of people like her. Do women usually carry knives in Iran? Why? Seems everyone would have gotten the point by now that women are not entitled to self-defense, and if they try it, the punishment will be worse than whatever they were trying to ward off with the knife.

And in a case like this, I would assume that the timing and placement of everything did come under scrutiny in the court. If the alleged rapist was only "mildly" stabbed, he would have headed to the hospital and /or to the police right after the incident. Did he ever contact witnesses about that first injury before he was found dead? If not, it's strong evidence that she "finished the job" herself.

And where was he found dead--between the place where he was trying to rape the girl and the hospital? On the way, a third party just happened to see him and attack him, coincidentally?

So what kinds of wounds did he have, besides the stab wounds? If he was shot or strangled, they wouldn't even really need an autopsy, the proof would be right there. And I assume that part would have exonerated her or at least gotten into the news and conveyed to Amnesty International.

But if there were just MORE knife wounds?

I guess I have to look into the story more.

She says the judge didn't look to see that her hands are fine and not coarse like a boy's. Again, I don't understand that culture, so this makes no sense:

quote:

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He never questioned the fact that my hands are not coarse like those of a sportswoman, especially a boxer.

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Women box in Iran? And if they do, it will be held against them in court?

quote:

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the judge didn't even trouble himself to look at the fact that at the time of the incident I had long and polished nails.

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Oh she took pictures of her nails beforehand and the pictures were date-stamped? And that was admitted as evidence?

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posted October 28, 2014 11:26 AM            

We agree

You would be surprised that "normal" people will defend it.

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posted October 29, 2014 12:06 PM            

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posted October 31, 2014 03:20 AM            

Just for clarification's sake:

It is not unusual for females to carry pen knife when they have to go home late at night after work, especially in third world countries where crime rates are high and personal safety remains an issue. It is probably as common as having guns at homes in US.

Apparently there was a third party in the room, a man, whom she claimed to have finished off the victim.

She argued her femininity, a strong sign of weakness/defenselessness as perceived by the muslim community, would render her incapable of murdering someone. She emphasized this by demonstrating her fine/soft hand and long fingernails. (they are used as metaphors in her poetic message, I believe)

The event happened in a Muslim country where females have long been discriminated, and the fact that her family isn't well off nor having any status, meant they were literally powerless in the face of law. Whereas the victim, being a former intelligence officer, would gave them the power to buy the verdict regardless of circumstances/the truth. It is again common for corruption/bribery to occur in the justice system in most third world countries and I am sure this happened even in the advanced societies too.

At the end of day, the only thing that could save this girl's life was the forgiveness from the victim's family, which unfortunately was not offered to her.

posted October 31, 2014 07:50 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by seekinglight:
@Faith

Just for clarification's sake:

It is not unusual for females to carry pen knife when they have to go home late at night after work, especially in third world countries where crime rates are high and personal safety remains an issue. It is probably as common as having guns at homes in US.

Apparently there was a third party in the room, a man, whom she claimed to have finished off the victim.

She argued her femininity, a strong sign of weakness/defenselessness as perceived by the muslim community, would render her incapable of murdering someone. She emphasized this by demonstrating her fine/soft hand and long fingernails. (they are used as metaphors in her poetic message, I believe)

The event happened in a Muslim country where females have long been discriminated, and the fact that her family isn't well off nor having any status, meant they were literally powerless in the face of law. Whereas the victim, being a former intelligence officer, would gave them the power to buy the verdict regardless of circumstances/the truth. It is again common for corruption/bribery to occur in the justice system in most third world countries and I am sure this happened even in the advanced societies too.

At the end of day, the only thing that could save this girl's life was the forgiveness from the victim's family, which unfortunately was not offered to her.

---

Penlights won't do anything in a case like this. This is normal for Sharia Law. Women can be raped, killed, have acid thrown at their faces,stoned and genitally mutilated.

Is is LEGAL. That is the thing people don't understand. That is the ROLE of women under Sharia Law.

They are property with much, much fewer rights than a dog in the USA.

Please educate yourself on Sharia Law.

Many people want to bring it to the US.

Your ignorance is not your friend

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posted October 31, 2014 01:23 PM            

Thanks for explaining about the pen knife. I still don't understand the laws about when they may or may not be used.

I haven't looked into the story any more (not yet, I plan to) so for now I will just say, no offense intended towards you, but it makes no sense.

If another man was there, why did the rape attempt get so far that she pulled out a knife? If her defender took over after she started, why wasn't he also valiant enough to show up in court and defend her there, too?

I mean, together there are two witnesses against the attacker. I don't know why the story is being told this way...I don't know what reaction people are "supposed" to have and why the story is even being circulated when crucial details are missing.

Not meaning to sound accusative. Just puzzled.

posted October 31, 2014 02:45 PM            

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posted October 31, 2014 08:37 PM            

I admit I do not understand the Sharia law fully, but as one born into a country with the largest muslim population in the world, yet who is neither a muslim nor of a 'correct' ethnicity and worst still a female, I probably understood the feeling of not being worth a speck of dust. It is already a sin to be a non-muslim in a muslim country, though this was not outright spoken. That's why her story touches me deeply as I could have been her have I not migrated elsewhere when I was younger.

However, I doubt you are aware that in most 3rd world country, wealth and power easily trump over laws or anything else for that matter. Money and status can turn black into white and vice versa.

Suppose the table is turned and she has a doting father or other relatives with a high status and large wealth, while the victim happens to be just some poor commoner, this case would easily be settled out of court with sufficient monetary compensation.

Unfortunately she came from a commoner background faced with an opponent who used to hold a position as an intelligence officer who probably had strong connections with people in the government. The odds are all against her and even the judge could not save her under the strong pressure from the victim's family and probably backings from his connections to all those high rankings in the government. In the final verdict, she needed the mercy from the victim's family to be spared from execution which obviously was never extended to her. Notice how the judge was leaving her fate to the victim's family, who's having the most power here?

In developing countries, laws are just games. It happened that you could even have the judge sitting on the opposite seat being judged for bribery/corruption. It is very unlikely for those with wealth and status to be imprisoned for their crimes, but in the rare occasions that did, it was merely light sentences and they got a VIP prison no less luxurious than a 5 star hotels. And oh, they could even travel overseas too while serving their time in prison.

I believe the issue goes way deeper than female discrimination itself. It is the lack of integrity in the law system and the people behind it. You would be surprised by how the laws can be easily bent with sufficient power and money. In other words, there never was meant to be any justice at all because there was no law in the first place. It is not much different from the old jungle law where the strong overpowers the weak, albeit this time in terms of wealth and power. And I am sure this happened everywhere in the world though to a different extent.

posted October 31, 2014 08:49 PM            

If the lady's claim proved to be true that indeed there was another man that had ultimately killed the victim, the suspect would probably have fled off to save his arse. Why bother getting into trouble with the law and risk himself being executed? However the case itself was never investigated fully and thoroughly, which was why there was an international outcry for injustice. Bear in mind that the victim was previously an intelligence officer, with connections and backing from people in the government. These could have easily overpowered the judge and the law system.

As with everything, it is best to come with an understanding rather than wild presumptions.

posted October 31, 2014 09:05 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Ami Anne:
With Sharia Law, if a women is raped, she need 3 male witnesses to testify. If not, it is considered HER fault and she can be killed.

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One of the many reasons I detest Sharia Law. You shouldn't need to have a minimum number of witnesses, of course they just have to be male ugh, to prove you were raped.

posted October 31, 2014 10:03 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by seekinglight:
As with everything, it is best to come with an understanding rather than wild presumptions.

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I had no presumptions.

From the link you posted:

quote:

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In 2007, Sarbandi met Jabbari, who was an interior decorator, in a cafe and convinced her to visit his office to discuss a business deal. While at the office, Sarbandi allegedly tried to rape Jabbari. She grabbed a pocket knife and stabbed him, then fled the scene leaving him to bleed to death.[4]

The United Nations' Human Rights Rapporteur in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, said that Jabbari was hired by Sarbandi to redesign his office and took her to an apartment where she was sexually abused by him. Sarbandi's family insisted that it was premeditated murder as Jabbari confessed to buying a knife two days before the killing

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quote:

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The Prosecutor's Office, inter alia, claims:

*Jabbari was investigated as a suspect because of the last call on the victim's cell phone. The police found a bloodied scarf, bloodied knife, and the original cover of the knife in Jabbari's place.

*Jabbari accepted that she had bought the knife 2 days before the incident

*Jabbari had sent a text message to a friend of hers three days before the incident saying "I think I will kill him tonight"

*Jabbari first claimed the involvement of a different man named "Sheikhi" in the incident. After she failed to identify the man, she said that her original statement was false and she had only tried to derail the investigation.

*The claims that Jabbari made in the final months (before the execution), were only a repetition of her previous claims that were investigated one-by-one and found baseless by the five judges of the criminal court of the province and the judges of the National Supreme Court. Despite this, the Prosecutor's Office reportedly tried its best to bring the two families together; the victim's family in the end refused to forgive Jabbari, ensuring her execution.

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posted October 31, 2014 10:11 PM            

quote:

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Evidence Required

Obviously, it would be a horrible injustice for an innocent man to be falsely accused of a capital crime such as rape. To safeguard the rights of the accused, the crime must be proven with evidence in court. There have been various historical interpretations of Islamic law, but the most common legal practice is that the crime of rape may be proven by:

Witness testimony - The testimony of four witnesses to the act itself is traditionally the requirement to prove adultery under Islamic law. Most Islamic scholars, however, recognize that adultery is voluntary while rape is coerced. Thus they have moved beyond requiring this evidence alone to prove sexual assault.

Confession - The full and complete confession of the perpetrator is accepted as evidence under Islamic law.

Physical evidence - Even in early Islamic history, many Islamic jurists accepted physical evidence to prove a woman's lack of consent. As forensic science becomes more adept at providing physical evidence of sexual assault, such evidence is more commonly accepted.

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Why four witnesses? FOUR? Who rapes someone right in front of four people?

And if sharia law has been practically pro-rape in the past, why do the men bother putting the women in burkas? Why protect/disguise/hide them at all? Why not make them walk around naked for easy access? Oh, cuz that would be immoral?

posted October 31, 2014 10:19 PM            

People better wake the heck up because many people want to bring Sharia law to the US!

I am thrilled that you and Faith agree with how horrific this is.

It helps me feel not as hopeless that others see this!
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