Sexual Assault Cases in Iranshahr; Whipping and Imprisonment Sentences Confirmed for Defendants

The Public Relations Office of the General and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Iranshahr County announced the confirmation of some of the sentences issued for each of the defendants in the sexual assault case against girls in Iranshahr, stating: “Regarding the charge of participation in filming the complainants and using the aforementioned film as a means of threat, each of the defendants has been sentenced to 74 lashes, 5 years of discretionary imprisonment, and 5 years of deprivation of social rights, with the verdict issued by the provincial court of appeal being confirmed.” He also reported the reversal of some sentences including execution and imprisonment for 4 defendants in this case by the Supreme Court and its referral to the same-level branch.

According to Harana news agency, citing IRNA, the Public Relations Office of the General and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Iranshahr County announced the confirmation of the whipping sentence along with other punishments for the defendants in the sexual assault case against girls in Iranshahr by the provincial court of appeal.

The Public Relations Office of the General and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Iranshahr County stated in this regard: “Regarding the charge of participation in filming the complainants and using the aforementioned film as a means of threat, each of the defendants has been sentenced to 74 lashes, 5 years of discretionary imprisonment, and 5 years of deprivation of social rights, with the verdict issued by the provincial court of appeal being confirmed.”

He added: “The defendants in this case, regarding the charge of participation in violent rape, were sentenced to execution, and for participation in kidnapping to 15 years of imprisonment, and for theft to 3 years of imprisonment and 74 lashes, and property forfeiture and payment of blood money. Regarding possession and keeping of illegal weapons, they were sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment according to the primary verdict issued by Iranshahr Criminal Court One, which the Supreme Court reversed due to defective investigation, and it is currently being reviewed in the same-level branch.”

According to him, in this case, none of the defendants have been granted even one day of leave and continue to serve their sentences.

It should be noted that on Friday, June 26, 2018 (Khordad 26, 1397), one of the Sunni scholars of Iranshahr announced in the Friday prayers of Eid al-Fitr the sexual assault of 41 girls in this county, following which contradictory news was spread in the virtual space.

The General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Zahedan, the center of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, denied the report of sexual assault against 41 girls and women in Iranshahr County and said: “Only 3 private complainants referred to the prosecutor’s office regarding this matter.”

Ali Mohaddesi-Rad had stated: “The first defendant in this case was immediately arrested and handed over to judicial authorities after the announcement of a complaint by one complainant (two days before Eid al-Fitr 2018).”

The second and third defendants in this case were arrested and detained on June 31 and July 14, 2018, respectively, and the commander of the police force of Sistan and Baluchestan Province also announced on August 3, 2018 the arrest of the fourth defendant in this case in Bojnord.

Following the spread of news of numerous sexual assaults against women and girls in the Iranshahr region of Sistan and Baluchestan, a number of civil activists, by participating in a protest gathering, called for improved social security, punishment of perpetrators, and support for victims. Security agencies, instead of addressing the issue and the demands raised, proceeded to arrest civil activists in the region and broadcast their televised confessions.

Among others, serious charges were brought against Abdullah Bozorgzadeh. More than one hundred known civil activists and human rights defenders issued a statement condemning the behavior of the security apparatus and demanding “the immediate release of Abdullah Bozorgzadeh, identification and prosecution of those who sexually assaulted women and girls, and support for victims of sexual assault in this region.”

Iranshahr County is one of the counties in Sistan and Baluchestan Province.

Source: Harana