Habibollah Latifi
Encyclopedia
Habibollah Latifi is a Kurd
ish Iran
ian law student at Azad University and a Kurdish
activist who has been charged with Moharebeh
("waging war against God") and sentenced to death
by an Islamic Revolutionary Court
in Iran. He is charged with committing acts of violence (a charge he denies) in cooperation with the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) in 2007.
Latifi has been described as "a straight A student and an athlete who loves nature and his country's mountains." He was arrested in October 2007 and sentenced to death in 2008 in a court session that lasted a few minutes and that followed four months of interrogation and torture. His sentence was upheld by an appeals court in 2009. His lawyer was informed on Thursday, December 22, 2010 that Latifi was scheduled to be executed on Sunday, December 26, 2010 in Sanandaj
prison in Kurdistan Province
, Iran
. His execution was halted after his lawyer requested further investigation into his case in a letter to judiciary chief Sadeq Larijani
. Latifi met with his family on Sunday morning.
Amnesty International
has asked Iran to commute Latifi's sentence. They note that he had no legal representation at his trial, which was held behind closed doors. "It is clear that Habibollah Latifi did not receive a fair trial by international standards, which makes the news of his impending execution all the more abhorrent," Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa director, said .
Regarding the charges against Latifi, his lawyer said, "He was not even present at Sanandaj during those times and was living a secret life at a different location. We have asked the initial court and the appeals court to look into these accusations and summon all who think Mr Latifi was present at any of these event and state have seen him during. On the other hand, we have asked the family whom have given refuge to Mr Latifi to be summoned and testify in court; which neither issue was addressed. The court has announced the reports of police officials are sufficient enough for the court to decide a ruling."
In May 2011 United4Iran reported that according to several sources Latifi was suffering "from various illnesses, including an intestinal infection, heart problems, and kidney failure."
Latifi's sister said, "I ask all Human Rights organizations and anyone who is able to help to come forward. But I still think what needs to be done has to be from inside the country."
Kürd
Kürd or Kyurd or Kyurt may refer to:*Kürd Eldarbəyli, Azerbaijan*Kürd Mahrızlı, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Goychay, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Jalilabad, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Qabala, Azerbaijan*Qurdbayram, Azerbaijan...
ish Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian law student at Azad University and a Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
activist who has been charged with Moharebeh
Moharebeh
Moharebeh is the title of a crime in Islamic law. Mohareb refers to the perpetrator of the crime. Moharebeh has been translated in English language media sources variously as "waging war against God," "war against God and the state," "enmity against God." Mohareb has been translated by English...
("waging war against God") and sentenced to death
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
by an Islamic Revolutionary Court
Islamic Revolutionary Court
Islamic Revolutionary Court is a special court in the Islamic Republic of Iran designed to try those suspected of smuggling, blaspheming, inticing violence or trying to overthrow the Iranian government...
in Iran. He is charged with committing acts of violence (a charge he denies) in cooperation with the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) in 2007.
Latifi has been described as "a straight A student and an athlete who loves nature and his country's mountains." He was arrested in October 2007 and sentenced to death in 2008 in a court session that lasted a few minutes and that followed four months of interrogation and torture. His sentence was upheld by an appeals court in 2009. His lawyer was informed on Thursday, December 22, 2010 that Latifi was scheduled to be executed on Sunday, December 26, 2010 in Sanandaj
Sanandaj
Sanandaj , also Romanized as Senneh and Sinneh) is a city in and the capital of Kurdistan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 311,446, in 81,380 families....
prison in Kurdistan Province
Kurdistan Province
Kurdistan Province or Kordestan Province or Kurdestan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, not to be confused with the greater geographical area of Iranian Kurdistan. The province of Kurdistan is 28,817 km² in area which encompasses just one-fourth of the Kurdish inhabited areas of Iran or...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. His execution was halted after his lawyer requested further investigation into his case in a letter to judiciary chief Sadeq Larijani
Sadeq Larijani
Ayatollah Sadegh Ardeshir Amoli Larijani is an Iranian cleric, politician and current head of the judicial system of Iran....
. Latifi met with his family on Sunday morning.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
has asked Iran to commute Latifi's sentence. They note that he had no legal representation at his trial, which was held behind closed doors. "It is clear that Habibollah Latifi did not receive a fair trial by international standards, which makes the news of his impending execution all the more abhorrent," Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa director, said .
Regarding the charges against Latifi, his lawyer said, "He was not even present at Sanandaj during those times and was living a secret life at a different location. We have asked the initial court and the appeals court to look into these accusations and summon all who think Mr Latifi was present at any of these event and state have seen him during. On the other hand, we have asked the family whom have given refuge to Mr Latifi to be summoned and testify in court; which neither issue was addressed. The court has announced the reports of police officials are sufficient enough for the court to decide a ruling."
In May 2011 United4Iran reported that according to several sources Latifi was suffering "from various illnesses, including an intestinal infection, heart problems, and kidney failure."
Latifi's sister said, "I ask all Human Rights organizations and anyone who is able to help to come forward. But I still think what needs to be done has to be from inside the country."