Tag Archives: nazanin afshin-jam

Nazanin Afshin-Jam interviewed by Girls Without Borders

“The Iranian Penal Code interprets Sharia law in a way that says a woman’s life is worth half that of a man’s. Under Sharia law, a girl is considered an adult at the age of nine and she is held legally accountable for her actions. The International Covenant on Civic and Political Rights states that you cannot, under any circumstance, execute a minor. The Iranian law bastardizes this and says, “We won’t kill her at nine years old, but we’ll keep her imprisoned until she is 18 and then we will execute her.”
                                                                                            Nazanin Afshin-Jam

To read the full article at Girls without borders visit: http://www.girls-without-borders.org/home/news/54

Girls without Borders is an international initiative for the promotion of women in politics and civil society.

Nazanin talks to Mohammad Latif after his release

After six months campaigning for the life of Mohammad Latif, a boy on death row, co-founder of the Stop Child Executions campaign, Nazanin Afshin-Jam spoke to Mohammad Latif on the phone for the first time since his release from prison last week.

Mohammad Latif spent over three years in jail for a crime he says he committed in self defence. Mohammad said that he accidentally killed 18-year-old Mansour while trying to take away the attackers knife. After mediation between families, Mansour’s family decided to give pardon to Mohammad and have him released from jail.

Mohammad said it feels like he has started a new life. He is having to readjust to “normal” life after having spent three years in prison. He acquired problems with mobility of his legs and his eyesight has deteriorated considerably while in prison. He says he has not quite adjusted to the hustle bustle of everyday life and does not have much tolerance for loud noises, busy streets and crowds. He says that hopefully these things will subside in the near future.


Since his release last week he has spent time on vacation with his family. Soon he will return home to decide his future. He said he may have to work to help pay the debts that his father has acquired while he was in prison; otherwise his wish is to be able to return to school in hopes of one day becoming an electrical engineer. Mohammad who was imprisoned at the age of 14 has finished junior high school and did not have a chance to start high school.

He said that he cannot express how happy he is to be free and how thankful he is to Nazanin and all those who helped him in the process leading up to his freedom. His mother took the opportunity to express her gratitude and said that she is continuously praying for all the wonderful people who helped her son.

Shortly after release of Mohammad, his brother, on behalf of the family sent letters to thank Nazanin Afshin-Jam, David Etebari, attorney Mostafaei, all the Stop Child Execution Campaign volunteers and everyone who helped saved Mohammad from execution: http://scenews.blog.com/2786709/

Thank you Nazanin, thank you EVERYONE

Respectful greetings to Miss Nazanin Afshin Jam,

I am Mohammadreza Latif brother of Mohammad Latif.

I have much respect for you, for I have observed your minute by minute efforts on behalf of Mohammad Latif and how much you devoted your time and life to this important matter. We are very thankful and appreciate all your selfless efforts which lead to saving the life of our Mohammad. As I had stated in my first email to you, I was very optimistic when referring our plea to you. A strange insight was telling me that you would become the savior of Mohammad’s life and eventually that is what happened.

It was the attorney that you introduced who helped from the beginning to the end, from the defense to the final mediations. You accepted to help Mohammad and as long as I am alive, the name of Nazanin Afshin-Jam will be an unforgettable name for all of our family. Your support was the reason for the gift of new life to Mohammad. Every time we visited Mohammad in prison we told him about your efforts and that gave Mohammad the rays of hope during those hopeless days.

Indeed you have become the voice of those who are voiceless as Mohammad was and I would like to congratulate you on this achievement. I also wish to thank all your colleagues at the Stop Child Executions Campaign and especially extend my utmost appreciation and thanks to Mr. David Etebari and the valuable attorney, Mr. Mostafaei. We wish success, health, happiness and in one word all that is good for you.

Mohammad and our family hope to be able to talk to you personally on the phone and we wish that you remain the shining star in the dark nights of the unfortunates and hope that all can enjoy such light.

Thankfully
Mohammadreza Latif

Dear Mr. Latif,

I was so overjoyed when I found out that Mohammad was saved that tears came to my eyes.

Attorney Mr. Mostafaei is a great man and I am happy that he was able to take on Mohammad’s file. Stop Child Executions campaign and its volunteers really worked hard to raise awareness about Mohammad and the other minors condemned to execution in Iran to international bodies like governments worldwide, the European Union, the United Nations and the media worldwide. David Etebari who is the co-founder of our campaign in particular put much time and heart in these efforts.

In our petition to put an end to the executions of minors, we have close to 15,000 signatures. Here is a list of only a few who have helped in the case of Mohammad and others.

Blessings
Nazanin Afshin-Jam

Nazanin Fatehi's blood money appeal was denied

Nazanin Fatehi’s appeal and objection to the payment of blood money which was ordered by the panel of the judges last year was denied without any chance to present the case or any explanations by the judiciary of the Islamic regime in Iran.

Following a year long international world wide campaign, initiated by Nazanin Afshin-Jam, Nazanin Fatehi the Iranian girl who was sentenced to death at the age of 17 for killing a man who was attempting to rape her and her 16 year old niece, was released on bail in February 2007.


The campaign gained much worldwide attention and support last year and more than 350,000 signatures were obtained which lead to a retrial order by Ayatollah Shahrudi, head of Iran’s judiciary. Although the judges eventually found Nazanin not guilty of charges, they stated that an excessive force was used by Nazanin at the time that she was defending herself against the attempted rape; therefore she was ordered to pay retribution to the family of the rapist.

Shadi Sadr and Mohammad Mostafaei, the attorneys for Nazanin Fatehi appealed the order for payment of blood money and asked for placement of bail until the determination of the appeal. Subsequently Nazanin Afshin Jam with the help of Nazanin Campaign supporters and volunteers started a world wide fund raising campaign which raised the bail money required and eventually Nazanin Fatehi was released.


However SCE Campaign was informed that the appeal against payment of blood money due to the use of excessive force was denied and therefore the bail funds will be used by the Iranian authorities towards the payment of the blood money.

Stop Child Executions Campaign condemns the concept of retribution or blood money as a ransom for executions and also questions the legal validity of the use of excessive force by a 17 year old girl who was defending herself and her niece while outnumbered by three men during a forced rape attempt!


Nazanin Fatehi has been continuing her school while living with her family in a different residence which was arranged for them.

Nazanin and SCE in Canada's FLARE magazine

Canadian FLARE MAGAZINE featured Nazanin Afshin-Jam in its December 2007 issue. The detailed 3 full page article titled FLARE Volunteer included clips from an interview with Nazanin Afshin-Jam about Stop Child Execution Campaign.

To read the article click: https://www.stopchildexecutions.com/files/Flare_Dec_2007.pdf

(if the link does not work on your computer, you can right click on it and download the PDF file)

Another Swedish MP in support of SCE petition

Nazanin Afshin-Jam and SCE Campaign thank the honorable Christer Winbäck for signing the Stop child executions petition. He is the 102nd member of the Swedish Parliament who signed the SCE petition.

12954. Christer Winbäck, MP Sweden MP

To date nearly 1/3 of the Swedish MP’s have signed the SCE petition against the child executions in Iran.

SCE petition has now surpassed 13,000 signatures and supported by human right activists and politicians.