Iranian schoolgirl faces possible death sentence, family source says
A 16-year-old Iranian schoolgirl was arrested at her home in Karaj last month and could face the death penalty, a source close to her family told Iran International, as concerns mount over the treatment of minors detained in connection with unrest.
Diana Taherabadi was detained on January 25 after five officers in police uniforms entered the family’s home at around 8 a.m., the source said. One of the officers was described as holding a senior rank.
Upon entering, officers confiscated the mobile phones of family members to prevent contact with others, the source said. Taherabadi was asleep at the time and was awakened by officers who told her to get up before arresting her.
She was handcuffed, taken to a van and transferred to Kachoui prison (Fardis Prison), the source added.
Taherabadi has since been taken to a court in Karaj and informed she could face a death sentence, but authorities have not provided further details to the family, including the identity of the presiding judge, the source said.
According to the source, the teenager has been referred to the state forensic medical organization for an assessment of her “mental competence,” a procedure sometimes carried out in capital cases involving minors.
