Name
Ali Shabani
Background
Judge at Ahvaz Revolutionary and Public Courts in 2005-2006 and 2006-2007
Human rights violations
Ali Shabani was the presiding judge over cases involving social, political and Arab Ahvazi rights activists and directly responsible for failure to observe due process of law, and heavy, unjust and unjustified sentences.
He was also responsible for 349[1] cases of activists after the April 2005 uprising. Many were illegally detained, interrogated and transferred to Ministry of Intelligence detention centres.
Ali Shabani was the presiding judge over cases involving social, political and Arab Ahvazi rights activists and directly responsible for failure to observe due process of law, and heavy, unjust and unjustified sentences.
He issued sentences that violated international standards[2] including several death sentences according to Ahmad Hamid[3], for Abdolzahra Halichi, Yahya Nasseri, Risan, Jafar, Hamzeh and Mohammad Ali Savari, Abdolemam Zayeri, Nazem Barihi and Zamen Bavi[4] prior to leaving his post. They were subjected to extrajudicial violations, as well as lack of legal representation.[5] According to human rights activist, Emadedin Baghi, “after 10-11 months in solitary confinement, often in exile, the accused were tried without any contact with their lawyer, who … were given 24 hours to study cases exceeding 800 pages … the accused stated their confessions were made under duress.[6]
Ali Matirinejad (Matourinejad)
In 2006-2007 Shabani presided over 19 cases including prime suspect, Ali Matirinejad, charged with “combatting God” and “acting against national security”. Ahmad Hamid, his lawyer, states: “I met my client at Sepidar prison [Ahvaz] … for 10 minutes in the presence of Intelligence Ministry officers… He was the prime suspect in this case involving 18 others… they gave us a day or two to prepare and submit our defence bill…we submitted everything on Wednesday and on Saturday they called us to say their sentences have been issued, so logically it was not possible for them to study the defence, there were 19 cases and hundreds of documents… in response they had referred to a single sentence “unjustified defence by lawyer of the accused” and condemned 10 of them to death while sentencing others to long term imprisonment… they did not inform me of the verdict and when I requested to meet with my client we came to know he was executed… they did not return the bodies to the families or lawyers, but simply informed one family member of the location of their graves…”[7]
Fahimeh Esmaili Badavi
She[8] was the expectant wife of Ali Matirinejad and 8 months[9] at the time of arrest. She gave birth in an Intelligence Ministry solitary cell in the presence of guards. Judge Shabani sentenced her to 15 years of prison in exile in Yasouj during closed court sessions, ignored her lawyer’s defense … and violated legal standards.[10] Baseless charges in her case included using a pseudonym as an activist. She was denied medical care, female guards and basics for her and her new born or free access to legal representation.
Fahimeh Esmaili Badavi gave birth in an Intelligence Ministry solitary cell in the presence of guards. Judge Shabani sentenced her to 15 years of prison in exile in Yasouj during closed court sessions, ignored her lawyer’s defense … and violated legal standards
Hoda Havashemi (Hedayati)
According to Ahmad Hamid, she was arrested based on her husband, Habib Farajollah’s charges, who was overseas at the time of her arrest. Furthermore, the authorities used her child during interrogation in order to pressure her to make false confessions, denied her legal representatives’ access to her files and transparency in this case[11]. Judge Shabani sentenced her to one year in prison based on the charge of writing on the wall of her solitary cell.
—–
[1] Radio Farda: http://www.radiofarda.com/content/f4_Khuzistan_report_to_Khamenei/418619.html
[2] Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org/news/2006/11/10
[3]Interview with Ahmad Hamid on file with JFI
[4] Amnesty International: http://www.amnesty.org/fr/library/asset/MDE13/073/2006/fr/001b8559-d418-11dd-8743-d305bea2b2c7/mde130732006en.html and BBC Persian: http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/story/2006/06/060620_mj-baqi-letter.shtml
[5] Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org/news/2006/11/10
[6] BBC Persian: http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/story/2006/06/060620_mj-baqi-letter.shtml
[7] The client was executed in Azar 1385 or November-December 2006. Interview with Ahmad Hamid on file with Justice for Iran
[8] Justice for Iran report: http://justiceforiran.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Al-Hiwar-report-FA-21FEB-20131.pdf
[9] Radio Farda: http://www.radiofarda.com/content/article/278434.html
[10] Justice for Iran report: http://justiceforiran.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/CWP-2th-FA.pdf
[11] Radio Farda: http://www.radiofarda.com/articleprintview/368805.html
rda: http://www.radiofarda.com/articleprintview/368805.html]]>
