Nazanin Fatehi went through her re-trial today in Iran. In her first trial she was sentenced to death by hanging for the death of a man she had stabbed when he and two other men attempted to rape her and her niece. She was granted a second trial because international attention was brought to the case through the efforts of a former Miss Canada, Nazanin Afshin-Jam.
Unfortunately, the plight of Nazanin Fatehi is not uncommon in Ahmadinejad’s Iran. The role of women has not only be devalued, but their plight in Iran is horrific. They are not allowed to be raped and they are not allowed to defend themselves when they are raped. Either way, they are condemned to death. When they are hanged, they are left hanging as an example to other women. They are executed for ‘crimes against chastity’.
The value of a woman’s life in Iran is half that of a man’s in terms of blood money, and her testimony in court is also worth half that of a man. [source]
Seventeen-year-old Nazanin Fatehi and her 16-year-old neice had met their boyfriends to ride motorcycles. They were sitting in a park when three men approached them and began to be aggressive towards the girls. The two boyfriends fled the scene, leaving the two girls to fend for themselves. When the men tore off Nazanin’s head scarf and dress she started stabbing them. When she got free of the men, she grabbed her niece and fled.
She was charged with and convicted of murder and sentenced to death by public hanging. In her re-trial today the judges determined that the previous finding of the court was in error and therefore that the death of the would-be rapist was not intentional. This is wonderful news. But the disposition of the case is still not determined and Nazanin Fatehi remains in prison. No one seems to know how the judges will decide her fate for what they have determined was not an intentional killing.
Many girls in similar situations in Iran have been publicly hanged. The difference in this case seems to be the international attention and pressure on the Iranian government.
For more information on Nazanin:
The Tale of Two Nazains
Save Nazanin
Help Nazanin
Senator Sam Brownback calls for the U.S. and the U.N. to address the plight of women in Iran.
Online Petition
Nazanin Fatehi leaves a message for her mother
April 28th, 2007 at 6:17 am
My name is Kristin. When I read this article I was amazed. It has long since been my dream to help people. I have friends all over the world (South Korea, Thailand, Romania, Czech Republic, Africa, Brazil) I however, don’t have any money to travel and have never been outside of the U.S. and Canada. I have studied German for eight years, I’m learning Spanish, Italian, Japanese, and Korean in hopes that one day I’ll be able to reach people through their language and culture. I am also working toward my pilot license through Dunkirk Aviation. Quite a coincidence! Does anyone know how I can contact her? Perhaps I can join her in helping!
April 28th, 2007 at 11:23 am
Nazanin you are doing an wxcellent job and i am so proud of you, to the webmaster please give my website to nazanin fatehi,and my email, i have alot of people high rank politicians that i would like for her to meet very vincerlly tirdad
April 28th, 2007 at 11:54 am
i would like to repeat my computer had a problem please give my website and my email to nazanin mrs canada and mrs hero, so i she can let me know the update of innocent nazanin in iran taken by these criminall revolutionnary gards sincerlly tirdad
May 6th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
women in iran must be free to live their lives like the civilized nation the great usa and europe, and the tallibans the mollahs the most cruel creaturs on earth, must be brought to justice. i would like to mention how my thought is and who i decided to replace after knowing this heroic person since 1968 one of the most heroic person, that was working so hard to overthrow khomeini his name was shahriar shafigh. in the 1970s in the khargh island he was teaching me everything about humanity military , he along so many innocent people got killed by this faccist regime of khomeini after the revolution in paris. because he was very active with my father hormoz gharib and myself ofcourse and that is why i wanted all the young women and men in iran to know that 70 percent of the population in iran love america and europe all they want is freedom and work, this must be stopped. a man is not above a woman they are equal period. they have the same right as men but in ahmadinejad and the faccist mollahs. they love torturing innocent nazains and young teenager who just for example want to walk in to a park hand to hand, justice will be served. we are behind you here i will go to a few very important meetings and remember all of you young generations do not give up. great day my friends tirdad
April 7th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
I admire Nazanin Afshin-Jam for her work, and I respect her for doing it with dignity, and not blowing her cool (which is quite possible in such a situation).
July 21st, 2008 at 11:48 am
Ba tabrik be shoma, mikhastam bebinam aya alagheh darid dar barname-ha-ye Televisioni-ye Nafarmani-ha-ye Madani-ye be-sou-ye Iran-e ma mosharekat dashteh bashid. Bara-ye ashnaee-ye bishtar ba an lotfan be site-e derafsh.org , ghesmat-e Jonbesh-e Azadikhahan-e Iran rojo befarmaid. Ba Tashakor-e Faravan, Manouchehr Ganji
Tel : 202-3382129