AFP: An Iranian court has cleared of murder charges a 19-year-old woman who was originally sentenced to death for killing a man she said tried to rape her, the press reported Monday. TEHRAN, Jan 15, 2007 (AFP) – An Iranian court has cleared of murder charges a 19-year-old woman who was originally sentenced to death for killing a man she said tried to rape her, the press reported Monday.
Mahabad Fatehi, known as Nazanin, was cleared by a Tehran provincial court of premeditated murder but still ordered to pay blood money of 260 million rials (23,660 euros) to the victim’s family, the Etemad newspaper reported.
Fatahi, whose case achieved international notoriety when it was taken up by a Canadian beauty queen of Iranian origin, said she stabbed the man in an act of self defence after he tried to rape her and her niece in March 2005.
In January last year, Fatehi was put on trial and sentenced to death by a criminal court, a verdict which was then quashed by the supreme court in an unprecedented move, the report said.
Her case then was referred to the Tehran provincial court, whose five judges cleared her of the charge with the majority of votes on Wednesday, the report said.
