Orders for Shahla Jahed’s Execution Believed to Be Sent for Implementation

Orders for Shahla Jahed’s execution are believed to have been sent to the implementation office (Fars News coverage).

According to Amnesty International, Shahla Jahed was a “temporary” wife of Nasser Mohammad-Khani, footballer associated with the Iranian national team. Shahla Jahed was originally sentenced to death by hanging in 2004 for stabbing to death Laleh Saharkhizan, Mohammad-Khani’s “permanent” wife. Under Iranian law, men and women can have both “permanent” and “temporary” marriages. In a temporary marriage, men and women can commit to be married for a certain period of time, from minutes to years, after which the marriage is null and void.

This temporary marriage is called “sigheh,” and is frequently condemned as a method of exploitation of women who are prevented, by constraints placed on them by a gender apartheidist and economically exploitative society from supporting themselves independently.

Amnesty also reports that Nasser Mohammad-Khani was himself initially suspected of complicity in the murder and jailed for some months, but was reportedly released.

Shahla Jahed has never confessed to the murder, except under the duress of torture. During her trial, she has consistently upheld her innocence.

Once again, the Islamic Republic will attempt to proceed with the execution of a woman whose only “confession” was elicited by means of torture. Her lawyer has pointed out at least 15 instances of incorrect information in her files, and none of them have been addressed by the court. But as we have all seen in the case of Sakineh Ashtiani, the courts and the regime of the Islamic Republic have no interest whatsoever in truth or justice.

They only want to kill. Because they need to kill. And they particularly want it to be known that they are killing women. There is a reason why Fars News has publicized the impending execution of Shahla Jahed. They want to terrorize women most of all.

And this is the regime that the United Nations has invited to sit on the UN Commission on the Status of Women. This is the criminal enterprise that will be invited to sit on the Board of the new UN Women organization.

The United Nations must be reformed to ensure that governments that sit on its women’s commissions do not rely on oppression of women to maintain politica power.

The Islamic Republic must be brought before an international court of law for its crimes against all humanity.