Amid the violent confrontation with Israel, which has seen hundreds of Iranian casualties, including high-ranking military officials, the story of Atef Sahaaleh, a 16-year-old girl executed in 2004, resurfaces on the internet, with claims that she has cursed the Islamic regime.
The execution shocked the world
On the morning of August 15, 2004, a young girl was dragged in a public square of the city of Neka in Iran and hanged. The death sentence of Atefah Sahaaleh was imposed for "crimes against chastity", as she was described as a 22-year-old girl having committed adultery.
However, she was not married and was only 16. Her age was falsified by Iranian courts in order to hang her, as according to Iranian law, a person under the age of 18 cannot be hanged.
Talks on social media
On June 17, Indian X user @Brand_Netan shared in detail the story of the little girl. In an introductory paragraph, he writes, "People say that Iran is cursed by this girl because there has never been peace in Iran since the hanging of this girl."
After telling the story, he proceeded to ask, "What kind of justice is this? What kind of law is this? Is this the real picture of the lives of Muslim women in Muslim-majority countries?" He then reminded his followers that "this is just one such case which reached the world outside Iran. There are many more countries like Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and many more where many innocent girls would be killed because of such cruel laws."
Women's rights in Iran
This execution shocked the world at the time, shining light on the abuses of the regime, in which the death penalty is applied to crimes against morality and especially targets women.
Women have fewer legal rights than men, and their behaviour is observed by the morality police.
In 2022, the Zan, Zendegi, Azadi (Woman, Life, Freedom) movement erupted in protest of the brutal treatment of women in the country, following the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody.
Disclaimer: This information has been provided by a third party. India TV does not vouch for the authenticity of the claims made.
ALSO READ: Viral video shows bizarre Lebanon celebration as missiles fly overhead amid Iran-Israel war | WATCH