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Iran: British woman jailed for “insulting Islamic sanctities,” in danger of execution

Apr 3, 2014 9:49 am By Robert Spencer

Evin PrisonThe odd thing about this story is that while everyone is offended that Roya Saberi Negad Nobakht could be executed in Iran for “insulting Islamic sanctities,” in Britain (and America) it is a de facto crime to insult Islamic sanctities. It won’t get you prison (yet), but it will get you public abuse, insults, the savaging of your reputation, and ostracism from circles of the politically correct and self-styled right-thinking folk. Prison is just the next step.

“British woman jailed in Tehran for insulting Islam and Iranian government on Facebook fears execution,” by Chris Green for the Independent, April 2:

A British woman has been locked up in Iran for five months after posting derogatory comments about the country’s government on Facebook and fears she will be executed, her husband has said.

Concerns are growing for the welfare of Roya Saberi Negad Nobakht, 47, from Stockport, who has been charged with “insulting Islamic sanctities“, a crime which can be punishable by death. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said it was “urgently” looking into her case. However, Britain currently has no embassy in Iran, making any negotiations more difficult.

Mrs Nobakht was in Iran visiting family in October last year when she was arrested by police as she arrived by plane in the south western city of Shiraz, according to an account given by her husband, Daryoush Taghipoor, to a family friend in Britain.

She was then taken back to Tehran and charged with “gathering and participation with intent to commit crime against national security” and “insulting Islamic sanctities”, according to a copy of her charge sheet seen by The Independent.

Mr Taghipoor, who is currently in Iran, claimed that his wife’s arrest was over comments she had made on a Facebook group about the government being “too Islamic”, and that she had only been charged after a confession was extracted from her “under duress”. Facebook declined to comment.

She is believed to have been detained ahead of a trial at Evin prison in Tehran, which is notorious both for its harsh conditions and for its housing of political prisoners.

The couple have lived in the Stockport suburb of Heald Green for the past six years and have both been granted dual British-Iranian nationality. Mrs Nobakht had previously been a student at Stockport College, but a spokeswoman said today she had left four years ago.

Mr Taghipoor told the Manchester Evening News: “It’s a very bad situation. We don’t know what’s going on. Roya is not well at all. She has lost three stone and is frightened. She is scared that the government will kill her.”

Mrs Nobakht’s situation came to light after her husband approached his friend and former employer Nasser Homayoun-Fekri, who also lives in Stockport, who wrote a letter to his local MP Andrew Stunell.

“I must request, on humanitarian grounds as well as for the sake of justice, that you exert all possible pressure on the British Government to do all that is feasible for the release of this innocent British citizen,” he wrote. “Especially considering that the Islamic Republic, as acknowledged by the United Nations… is one of the most notorious human rights abusers at all the stages of arrest, custody and trial.”

Mr Homayoun-Fekri told The Independent he had spoken to Mr Taghipoor on Tuesday but that his telephone line had since been cut off. “He used to work with me. He is not into politics or opposition groups, and neither is his wife,” he added. “I was very surprised when he told me she had been arrested.”

Mr Stunell said he had “every reason to believe” that Mr Taghipoor’s account was true and that he had asked the FCO to seek consular access to Mrs Nobakht. However, he said this was proving difficult as the British Embassy in Tehran was closed and a third party had to act as a go-between.

“I don’t think anybody knows exactly and precisely what she’s been arrested for,” he added. “The randomness of these things is one of the areas of concern. But what she’s been charged with appears to be an offence against attacking the holiness of Islam, which gives substance to [internet postings] being the reason.”

Human rights groups have expressed concern about the reasons for Mrs Nobakht’s arrest. Amnesty International’s Iran researcher Bahareh Davis said: “If Roya Saberi Nejad Nobakht has been held solely for peacefully exercising her right to freedom of expression she must be released immediately and unconditionally.

“Regrettably, vaguely-worded and broadly-defined crimes such as ‘gathering and colluding against national security’ and ‘insulting the Islamic sanctities’, for which she appears to have been held, are often used by the Iranian authorities to curb those who peacefully express their opinions, including criticising the government.”…

Despite the lack of a British embassy in Tehran, relations between the two countries appear to have thawed recently. In January, former Home Secretary Jack Straw headed the first UK delegation to travel to Iran in five years, accompanied by former Chancellor Lord Lamont, Conservative MP Ben Wallace and Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn as guests of the Iranian Parliament.

Mr Straw said on his return he felt there was a “lighter atmosphere” in the country, adding he believed President Hassan Rouhani was “committed to change” and would like to bring it “in from the cold”….

Which shows that Mr. Straw is still as out to lunch as ever.

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Filed Under: free speech, Iran, United Kingdom Tagged With: featured


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Comments

  1. Veracious_one says

    Apr 3, 2014 at 11:16 am

    she confessed under duress…prisoners in Muslim prisons such as Evin often do that….

  2. Angemon says

    Apr 3, 2014 at 11:17 am

    “Mr Taghipoor, who is currently in Iran, claimed that his wife’s arrest was over comments she had made on a Facebook group about the government being “too Islamic””

    O.o
    o.O

    Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

    Islam, creating self-righteous lying snitches since 632.

  3. mariam rove says

    Apr 3, 2014 at 11:21 am

    In Iran if you insult Islam is a crime called” Moharebe(war) Ba(with) Khoda(god). This is 10 times more serous than say committing a murder. They will kill you and that is for sure. M

    • Defcon 4 says

      Apr 4, 2014 at 11:05 am

      @mariam rove

      Sarcastically speaking, what a comforting thought that is.

  4. Demetrius Minneapolis says

    Apr 3, 2014 at 11:57 am

    If posting what Mrs Nobakht wrote will have you executed, I can only imagine that that punishment would be too lenient for what I have written, said and thought over the years.

    • john spielman says

      Apr 3, 2014 at 12:15 pm

      just more proof that ISLAM IS A DOCTRINE OF DEMONS and Muhammed was a demon possessed mass murderer liar thief misogynist rapist and pedophile!
      and to preempt Ibn muslim: No the Bible does NOT allow followers of Jesus Christ , who is God incarnate to punish anyone who blasphemes the Name of the Lord. The old testament law at the time of Moses demanded such punishment but only because God Himself was physically present in the Temple of Meeting with Moses to confirm the punishment. This though, I believe, will be what it is like when Jesus returns in His Glory to rule the nations for 1000 years before the end of this world and His eternal Kingdom begins

      • Salah says

        Apr 3, 2014 at 2:28 pm

        “just more proof that ISLAM IS A DOCTRINE OF DEMONS”

        Amen to that!
        Indeed it is, it’s in the Qur’an. All Muslims need to do is READ the Qur’an.

        http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2011/10/muhammad-and-satan_24.html

    • john spielman says

      Apr 3, 2014 at 12:16 pm

      just more proof that ISLAM IS A DOCTRINE OF DEMONS and Muhammed was a demon possessed mass murderer liar thief misogynist rapist and pedophile!
      and to preempt Ibn muslim: No the Bible does NOT allow followers of Jesus Christ , who is God incarnate to punish anyone who blasphemes the Name of the Lord. The old testament law at the time of Moses demanded such punishment but only because God Himself was physically present in the Temple of Meeting with Moses to confirm the punishment. This though, I believe, will be what it is like when Jesus returns in His Glory to rule the nations for 1000 years before the end of this world and His eternal Kingdom begins

  5. St. Michael Defend Us says

    Apr 3, 2014 at 1:51 pm

    Is it standard or common for Iranian married couples to have different last names?
    Why does any country allow adult immigrants to have dual citizenship with their original country? Is it not a reasonable expectation that adult applicants for new citizenship should be able to make an unqualified commitment to the new country?
    Was her british citizenship in some manner depending on her school enrollment?
    I feel sorry for this lady’s situation, this is very unfortunate and unfair. However, once having escaped from a terrible country and having acquired legal status in a better country, why in the blazes GO BACK?

    • mariam rove says

      Apr 3, 2014 at 2:14 pm

      Hi St. Michael! I am Iranian. Iranian women when they get married unlike here and many countries do not take their husbands names. For example my mom has her last name(her dad’s) not my father’s. This has been like it for centuries. As for her UK citizen ship: the despicable Iranian government does recognize if an Iranian who born there but having another countries citizenship as of that country for example UK. Once you are born in Iran you are Iranian. This goes even for kids who are born in forign countires such as UK, or US from a couple whos father is Iranian, they too automatically are Iranians. So my ex wife is from CA, I have 4 sons who are born here in NJ and the iranian governmet considers them Iranian. Case in point is the American born Marine(born in TX) who is in jail in Iran. while he was born here, but since his parents are Iranian he is considered Iranian. As for why they go back: most of us still have a lot of family there and in my case my mom,sister and brothers. People would want to go to see thier families. Hope this explains it. M

      • St. Michael Defend Us says

        Apr 3, 2014 at 3:32 pm

        Thank you, I did not know of the naming conventions there.
        I can see the country of Iran wanting to keep it’s grasp on the Iranians. Do other countries, such as England and the USA, recognise this duality in their new citizens?

        • mariam rove says

          Apr 3, 2014 at 3:55 pm

          Sure. you are welcome. It use to be a lot of countries would make you renounce your original nationality before granting citizenship. But this is no longer at least here in the states. Many people have two passports regardless of where they are from. So have 2 passports. My American and the Iranian. I travel a lot for business and I am sure you could see that I use my American passport. Iranian passports are one the worst passports to have akin to N. Korean’s one!!! But the reason I retain my Iranian passport is to be able to go to Iran to visit my family. They will not let me in with an American passport. Hope this explains it. And it is about time that we have a warm and sunny day here in NYC!!!!! m

      • Kepha says

        Apr 3, 2014 at 7:22 pm

        @Miriam Rove: I think a lot of countries have strong jus sanguinis laws about citizenship. The Greeks also look on just about everyone of Greek blood as a Greek, and even the Taiwanese have some provisions for ethnic Overseas Chinese.

        Under American law, a US citizen who has lived in the USA for five years, two of which are over the age of 14, transmits US citizenship to a child born outside the USA. This happened with both of my sons (born in Taiwan and Thailand), and works for people on private business as well as for those on US government business.

        Still, in any event, Mrs. Nobakht has my sympathy and prayers.

  6. enwhitenment says

    Apr 3, 2014 at 11:05 pm

    Iran is pretty much the 1980 postcard of what goes wrong when the fanatics take charge.
    If you elevate rather than medicate the insane then you end up with a place like Iran.
    Such a long & important history being painted over by the insecure black paint brush of radical islam.
    The very fact that you cannot question islam is the very reason you know it is hiding the truth & the truth will destroy it.
    That’s why they added the bit about it is ok to kill those who offend islam.
    A dark cult based on untruths that is soon to get a sign of just why the fifth of the seven pillars lays broken & who is going to reinstate it.

  7. allan carr bryan says

    Apr 4, 2014 at 5:00 am

    Islam is one big lie, contradicting itself on many occasions, and being interpreted by individuals to suit themselves, and, the idiotic Muslim SCUM are only too willing to believe what they hear. They are not clever enough to form their own opinion. Yet they can come over here to the UK and have freedom of speech and carrying all sorts of offensive and threatening banners. These animals do not deserve to be part of the human race. It’s a pity the Knights Templar never finished the job many years ago.

  8. citycat says

    Apr 4, 2014 at 3:37 pm

    I was trying to compute the Holiness of Islam. I was getting pain in my brain until I realized that it just don’t compute.
    Thank God for that.

  9. gravenimage says

    Apr 4, 2014 at 4:40 pm

    Iran: British woman jailed for “insulting Islamic sanctities,” in danger of execution
    ………………………..

    The real question, of course, is whether Britain will really go to bat for one of their own citizens.

    Given the fact that this poor woman has already been imprisoned *for five months*, I’m not sure I’d count on it…

    There was a time when Western nations such as Britain, France, and the US would marshall all of their forces—diplomatic pressure, threats of military attack—if one of their citizens was threatened abroad. I think those times have passed, and brutal Muslims are taking full advantage of it. Suicidal madness…

  10. Christian A. Beltram says

    Apr 4, 2014 at 9:27 pm

    Is duress a euphemism for torture? If the answer is yes, I am not surprised.

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