Saturday, February 03, 2007

Former Miss Canada helps free jailed Iranian teen

A teenage girl sentenced to death in Iran was released from jail Wednesday, much to the relief of a Canadian woman who fought 10 months to free her.

Vancouver singer Nazanin Afshin-Jam, who was once crowned Miss World Canada, said she is ecstatic that 19-year-old Nazanin Fatehi has been freed.

Former Miss Canada Nazanin Afshin-Jam, here at the Miss World 2003 contest, lobbied on behalf of a teenage Iranian girl who had been sentenced to death. Former Miss Canada Nazanin Afshin-Jam, here at the Miss World 2003 contest, lobbied on behalf of a teenage Iranian girl who had been sentenced to death.
(Ng Han Guan/Associated Press)

"I can't tell you how happy I am," Afshin-Jam told CBC News. "I spoke to Nazanin this morning and she's extremely happy and she's reunited with her family."

Fatehi was sent to death row a year ago after she confessed to stabbing and killing one of three men who tried to rape her and her 16-year-old niece. The attack happened in a park near Tehran in 2005, when Fatehi was just 17.

In early January, an Iranian court overturned the death sentence and ruled that Fatehi was acting in self-defence. She was exonerated from the charge of murder, but the court ruled she must pay compensation to the family of the man she stabbed in exchange for the pardon.

More at the Source



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