Reflections on the execution of a bride accused of murdering a teenager in the Daily Mail
The Daily Mail reported: "Zeinab Sekanvand was executed two days after she gave birth to a stillborn fetus. Zeinab had married a prisoner while on death row."
Zeinab Sekanvand was forced to marry an abusive husband at the age of 15. She was imprisoned in 2012 after confessing under torture at the age of 17 on charges of murdering her husband.
The execution of this 24-year-old girl was not possible due to her pregnancy, and as soon as she gave birth, authorities issued an execution order in Urmia.
Amnesty International had warned Iran against executing Zeinab Sekanvand a few days before the execution, because she was denied a fair trial.
Amnesty International tweeted following the news of the execution: "This morning, 24-year-old Zeinab was executed in Iran. She was a juvenile when she was arrested and was sentenced after an unfair trial. She said police tortured her in detention."
After killing her husband, Zeinab was detained at the police station for 20 days and was beaten by male officers, and she confessed to killing her husband.
According to Amnesty International, Zeinab's husband physically and verbally abused her for months and rejected her request for divorce.
Human Rights Watch says that during the trial, Zeinab's claims about being beaten and being abused by her husband were not accepted.
Amnesty International reported that Zainab lacked access to a lawyer and wrote that the court had not provided a legitimate report on Zainab's "mental development and maturity."
Zainab was denied the right to appeal the court's decision when she turned 18. She could have appealed under the Criminal Code Amendments because the trial had taken place while she was a minor.
As a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Iran is obligated to declare the death penalty illegal for defendants under the age of 18.
Source: Voice of America
