My son is the victim of being handsome
by
SCE Campaign 24-Jun-2008
Translated from Persian Text by Iranian Journalist, Asieh Amini
Abumoslem Sohrabi was 17 years old at the time when he was convicted of killing a 25 year- old named Amin in Firoozabad in Fars province, Iran .
Sohrabi’s father tried to prove his son’s innocence for the last 7 years with no luck. Now his son is very close to execution. Sohrabi’s father said that his son was molested and tried to defend himself against the attacker.
In the last couple of years, Sohrabi claims to have been too shy to admit Amin making advances towards him. Amin often offered motorbike rides to Sohrabi and asked him out several times, however he refused the offers.
On the day of the incident, Amin once again asked Sohrabi if he wanted a ride. When Sohrabi refused, Amin threatened him that if he did not comply, he would tell others about their previous encounters.
Sohrabi’s father continued to explain that his son was a very shy boy and when he finally accepted the ride on the back of Amin’s bike, Sohrab hit Amin who got a few scratches. Sohrabi ran away, and Amin came after him which resulted in a fight. During the fight Sohrabi gets hold of Amin's knife and uses it against him. Sohrab then takes Amin’s motorbike to runaway.
Sohrabi's father goes looking to find his son when it gets late and he does not come home. He eventually finds his son at the grandfather’s house where they later realize that Amin had passed away. During the first trial, the court concluded that Sohrabi had killed Amin in order to steal the motorbike but upon further investigation, the court ruled that it was done in self defense.
At first, Sohrabi had a state-appointed lawyer who was not very
experienced. Sohrabi was too shy to admit that he had been molested by Amin. The family was also too shy to come forward in order to save face among family and friends about their son’s experience They now fear that their coming forward is too much too late. The victim’s family who are well represented are not willing to forgive Sohrabi and want “ghesas” (retribution). They insist that Sohrabi wanted to steal their son, Amin’s motorbike. The Sohrabi family ask how a 17 year old boy can take a stronger 25 year old out of the city and kill him while sitting on the back of a motorcycle? At the time, they could not afford medical bills to prove that their son had been molested.
Sohrabi's family have three sons and three daughters however since the time that Sohrabi has been in jail for the last 7 years, one of the son’s has been killed in a road accident. Sohrabi’s father said that his son is very handsome and is paying for it now.