Woman executed in Iran

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Iran today hanged a woman convicted of murdering the wife of a prominent Iranian soccer player. Anchor Jeb Sharp finds out more from Pooneh Ghoddoosi of the BBC’s Persian TV service. Download MP3

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Jeb Sharp: I’m Jeb Sharp and this is The World, a coproduction of the BBC World Service, PRI, and WGBH-Boston.  Early this morning in Iran, a woman was hanged at Tehran’s Evin Prison.  The woman was not a political prisoner.  Her name was Shahla Jahed.  She’d been convicted of stabbing to death the wife of a prominent Iranian soccer player.  Shahla Jahed was the player’s mistress, so the murder has been described as the result of a love triangle.  Pooneh Ghoddoosi hosts a call-in show for BBC Persian TV, it’s called Novatay Shoman [? 0:34], or “Your Turn.”  Pooney, I wanted to talk about what people are saying, but first this is not the Iranian woman who sentence to death by stoning for committing adultery was suspended after an international outcry.

Pooney Ghoddoosi: It is not the same woman.  You’re talking about Sakineh Ashtiani, but it is a very similar case, except it didn’t get that much international attention before the execution was carried out. But this is a case that Iranians would be very familiar with because it’s been going on for about nine years since she was arrested.  And she’s been sentenced to death almost eight years ago.  And for three times her execution was postponed.  And it became a subject of huge attention on the tabloid newspapers and the media in Iran, because the footballer in question is very famous, like I don’t know, the David Beckham or the George Best of Iran.

Sharp: And what is the buzz?  What are people talking about?  Are there people taking sides?  Do they believe she was guilty?

Ghoddoosi: They’re very different ideas and opinions, very polarized about here because first of all she was accused of being Mr. Mohammadkhani’s lover.  Secondly, she was accused of robbery and burglary of the wife’s house as well as killing the wife.  And also providing opium and other drugs for the footballer while they were living together, because in Iran it’s a temporary marriage.  It’s not exactly a mistress or a lover situation; it’s legally and religiously okay to have a second temporary wife. Also, it’s a very confusing story because at some point several years ago she confessed to the charges.  Later she said that she was coerced and the confession was not truthful, and she took it back. Then there were accusations of the footballer being involved in the case as well, which were never proved, although he was imprisoned for a short time as well. And it was quite strange and quite shocking for many of our viewers and many people who commented on our website to see that suddenly the verdict was carried out this morning in Iran.  From the night before even they were pleading with the relatives to forgive the execution and not hang the woman when they found out the next morning it was maybe going to happen. Also women’s rights activists and feminists were writing on their blogs and their websites asking is it fair to have an eye for an eye situation when nobody’s really sure if the murder has actually taken place with her or by her.

Sharp: Pooneh Ghoddoosi is the host of Novata Shoma[? 3:04], a call-in show on BBC Persian TV.  Thank you very much for speaking with us.

Ghoddoosi: Thank you, my pleasure.

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