Update June 2, 2006.
Nazanin's execution has been commuted by Ayatollah Shahroudi (the Head of Judiciary). A retrial has been announced and Nazanin's case will be sent to a lower court for further investigation. There is also a chance that Nazanin may be sentenced to death once again by the courts as seen in past cases. Kobra Rahmanpour is a 19 year old girl who killed someone out of self defence and had her execution stayed several times before she was set free. She was even at the execution site where they announced that "they did not have enough rope". She ended wasting 7 years of her young life in jail. Please save Nazanin from a similar fate. Click Here for Nazanin's Website

Women sentenced to death are often hanged by a crane in public. This could be young Nazanin's fate without your immediate support.

In 2005 alone, 8 minors were hanged in Iran in direct
violation of the International Convention
on the Rights of the Child.

Almost one year ago I started a petition to help save the life of 17-year-old Nazanin Fatehi in Iran who was sentenced to death by hanging after she stabbed one of three men who attempted to rape her and her 15-year-old niece. With 340 000 petition signatures from around the world and the help of the International Committee Against Execution we have engaged, Amnesty International, the UN, Canadian Parliament, the EU, and others, we have put pressure on the Iranian Officials to spare the life of this child.

On June 1st 2006, the Head of Judiciary Ayatollah Shahroudi announced a stay of execution and called for a complete new trial.

This trial took place on January 10th, 2007. The five judges that reviewed her case determined that the act was unintentional and was indeed a case of self-defence. As a result, Nazanin was exonerated from the charge of murder, however the court also ruled that disproportionate force was used by Nazanin while trying to defend herself and her niece Accordingly, they have asked Nazanin to pay $35,000 USD compensation "diyeh" (blood money) to receive a pardon from the family of the deceased before she can be released from prison.

Nazanin's lawyers intend to appeal the payment of restitution but since this appeal may take several months, they have requested bail so that Nazanin may be released from prison immediately. The court has set bail in the amount of 400,000,000 Rials (approx US$45,000).

At this point, because Nazanin's family is very poor and unable to make payment of the bail or blood money your generosity is urgently requested to secure Nazanin Fatehi's freedom as soon as possible.

To make a donation in the Nazanin Fatehi Trust fund please go to the Donations page at www.helpnazanin.com

$31,000 USD HAS BEEN RAISED, ONLY $14,000 USD TO GO!

From her prison cell, Nazanin Fatehi wanted to thank everyone that has been working so tirelessly on her behalf and everyone who has signed the petition.

Thank you,

Nazanin Afshin-Jam & Team at www.HelpNazanin.com

PS. Please continue to spread the word about the plight of other women in similar circumstances such as Delara Darabi, Kobra Rahmanpour, Ashraf Kalhori, Fatemeh Haghighat-Pajouh and Malak Ghorbani and continue to pressure the Iranian Government to commute their death sentence and the discriminatory laws in the Iranian Penal code http://www.we-change.org/spip.php?article19

June 1st: Execution has been stayed for the time being by Ayatollah Shahroudi (the Head of Judiciary); however the Save Nazanin Campaign is far from over. A retrial has been announced and Nazanin's case will be sent to a lower court for further investigation. They have not said that Nazanin is free or that she will spend X amount of years in jail. Nazanin is a victim of attempted rape and should not even have to serve jail time. Nazanin may be sentenced to death once again by the courts as seen in past cases. In her first trial, Nazanin had a state appointed lawyer as her family was too poor to hire a personal lawyer. Measures are now being taken to hire a lawyer with much experience in these types of cases. The London office of Amnesty International is seeking the intervention of UN and other governments.

May 30: Nazanin Fatehi has been very scared the last few days in prison. She said she believes they are making decisions on her case. She said that various "Ghazi's" (judges) have been questioning her about the offence. She said repeatedly to them that she didn't want to kill that man, that she was simply protecting herself and her niece out of self-defense. Nazanin Fatehi continually thanks everyone who is campaigning on her behalf and her spirits have been lifted by all the kind hearts out there.

May 29: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour has received and seen the file on the case of Nazanin and her assistant said that "action" was being taken on this file but that she was not at liberty to provide details citing "confidentiality".

May 23: Interview by Nazanin Afshin-Jam with Nazanin Fatehi in prison in Iran via a mediator and the help of the International Committee against Execution. Go to www.nazanin.ca and click on the icon "Nazanin Afshin-Jam interviews Nazanin Fatehi"

May 21: Hear Nazanin Fatehi's mother speak with a representative of the International Committee Against Execution. Click Here

May 19: Ex-Foreign Minister of Canada Lloyd Axworthy has sent out a press release urging the public to take action on the case of Nazanin. To see this go to www.nazanin.ca and click on icon that says "Lloyd Axworthy urges action to save Nazanin"

May 16th: On the night of May 15th, upon learning that her file has been sent to Tehran, Nazanin phoned her family asking them to visit her in prison. She said that by the end of the week the Supreme Court will decide her fate. Nazanin's father left the next morning to visit her in prison. She would not let her father go. She cried and said "I'm scared Dad, don't leave me here".

How can you help?

Please sign the petition and write personal letters to the addresses below. Remember to be firm but respectful and do not be critical of the Government detaining Nazanin. We request your appeal be purely humanitarian based and non-political. We do not wish to do anything that would otherwise harm Nazanin's case. Spread the word to your local media. If you have any connections with international organizations, diplomats, NGO's, have them write letters to the Iranian government and Judiciary. Based on past cases similar to Nazanin, it has been known that through pressure from these organizations that the accused is granted clemency.

Let's work together in saving Nazanin Fatehi from a cruel and unjust punishment.

Let's save this victim of attempted rape.

Write Personal letters to the Iranian Officials asking them to free Nazanin.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations Office at Geneva
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Fax: 41 22 917 9022
(particularly for urgent matters)
E-mail: tb-petitions@ohchr.org
Leader of the Islamic Republic,
His Excellency, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader,
Shoahada Street, Qom,
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 00 98 251 7 774 2228


(Salutation: Your Excellency)
Head of the Judiciary,
His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: irjpr@iranjudiciary.org or if it does not work:
or www.iranjudiciary.org/feedback_en.html

President
His Excellency Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency, Palestine Avenue,
Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran,
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 00 98 21 6 649 5880
Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
(Or via website) www.president.ir/email
Salutation: Your Excellency



• Iranian Embassy Website