A television documentary team has pieced together details surrounding the case of a 16-year-old girl, executed two years ago in Iran.
On 15 August, 2004, Atefah Sahaaleh was hanged in a public square in the Iranian city of Neka.
Her death sentence was imposed for "crimes against chastity".
The state-run newspaper accused her of adultery and described her as 22 years old.
But she was not married - and she was just 16.
Sharia Law
In terms of the number of people executed by the state in 2004, Iran is estimated to be second only to China.
In the year of Atefah's death, at least 159 people were executed in accordance with the Islamic law of the country, based on the Sharia code.
Since the revolution, Sharia law has been Iran's highest legal authority.
Alongside murder and drug smuggling, sex outside marriage is also a capital crime.
Previously arrested for attending a party and being alone in a car with a boy, Atefah received her first sentence for "crimes against chastity" when she was just 13.
Although the exact nature of the crime is unknown, she spent a short time in prison and received 100 lashes.
When she returned to her home town, she told those close to her that lashes were not the only things she had to endure in prison. She described abuse by the moral police guards.
Soon after her release, Atefah became involved in an abusive relationship with a man three times her age.
Former revolutionary guard, 51-year-old Ali Darabi - a married man with children - raped her several times.
She kept the relationship a secret from both her family and the authorities.
Atefah was soon caught in a downward spiral of arrest and abuse.
[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/5217424.stm]BBC NEWS[/url]
Did anyone watch this last night?
never watched.
Sounds like a miscarriage of justice to me... what with the prosecution getting all the evidence wrong.
(and no I did not read the full post above this. Nor did I watch the programme.)
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
for those of u who didnt watch the programme and cant be bothered to read the BBC report
a young girl from a terrible background was executed for "crimes against chastity"
even though
1-law of land states that u cant execute under the age of 18
2-she was raped
3-no action was taken against the guy who did this to her
:evil:
[color=magenta]OMG i watched that last night it was so terrible i cant believe it, poor girl she was depressed n had psychological problems, not a caring family around her n it ws quite obvious someone was gna take advantage of her n thy did n bcause of that it led to her execution i really cant belive they wouldnt check thngs like age, poor girl was raped by a man older than her father[/color]
[b][color=DeepPink]O you who believe, If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm[/color][color=DeepSkyBlue] {Surah Muhammad7}[/color][/b]
Actually the guy got something like 80 lashes...which is not enough in my opinion for a crime like rape. He should have been executed as he was the one who had sex outside marriage and not the young girl.
As I said, miscarriage of justice. A brutal miscarriage of justice.
But lets remember it is pick on Iran season atm, and not buy everything wholeheartedly.
It was said that Iran has laws against such things against under 18's, and she was reported as 22.
Seems less like opfficial policy and more like greedy/arrogant local officials.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.