Zahra Bahrami, the Iranian-Dutch woman arrested during anti-government protests in December 2009 in Iran, was hanged this morning for drug smuggling charges.
Tehran prosecutor’s office described Bahrami as “member of an international drug smuggling gang who together with her Dutch connection smuggled cocaine from the Netherlands to Iran.”
Bahrami’s daughter, Banafsheh Nayebpour told the International Campaign for Human Rights earlier that the drug charges were fabricated and that her mother had confessed to them under torture.
She insisted that her mother‘s charges were political and Iranian authorities were trying to avoid Dutch attention to the case by fabricating the drug charges.
Announcing that they were not able to independently confirm the report of Baharami’s execution, the Dutch Foreign ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador today to explain the situation.
According to Tehran prosecutor’s office, “450g of cocaine and 420g of opium were discovered at Bahrami’s home and investigations revealed that she had also sold 150g of cocaine.”
The prosecutor’s office confirmed that Bahrami was arrested earlier for “committing security offences” but gave no further details.
Bahrami’s daughter reports that Abbas Jafari Dowlatbadi, Tehran’s Prosecutor had made several promises to them if she refrained from talking to the media, but he failed to live up to any promises and instead gave her mother the death sentence.
“I am her daughter and I do not accept any of these charges and my mother said in court that she had said those things during the interrogations because she was under pressure,” Nayebpour said.
“She doesn’t even smoke, let alone possessing drugs. How could someone who participates in election gatherings and endangers her life, engage in such actions against her country?” Bahrami’s daughter was quoted as saying.
Zahra Bahrami, a 45-year-old music graduate, was born in Iran but gained Dutch citizenship after moving to the Netherlands.
She was arrested in December of 2009 during the mass protests against the controversial victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Dutch diplomats were denied access to her because Iran does not recognize dual citizenship.
