Outrage as 'Devil of Tehran rapist' cleared of all sexual assaults Akhtar MakoiiOctober 28, 2025 at 2:30 AM 0 Iran has spared the life of an alleged serial rapist dubbed the "Devil of Tehran" and will instead deport him to Afghanistan.
- - Outrage as 'Devil of Tehran rapist' cleared of all sexual assaults
Akhtar MakoiiOctober 28, 2025 at 2:30 AM
0
Iran has spared the life of an alleged serial rapist dubbed the "Devil of Tehran" and will instead deport him to Afghanistan.
The man, identified only as Khalil, was accused of attacking nine women and initially handed two death sentences over the alleged assaults.
But a higher court has now overturned the sentences and instead ordered 100 lashes and deportation to his home country of Afghanistan.
Khalil was only convicted of living illegally in Iran and acquitted of all other charges.
The decision has angered the women who spent years pursuing justice through the Islamic Republic's courts, where rape is punishable by death.
Nine women who say they were attacked between 2020 and 2023 expressed anger and disbelief at the outcome.
'I became a victim again'
"With the acquittal verdict, it's like I became a victim again," one woman told the Iranian newspaper Shargh.
"I never wanted his execution, but I expected at least a long prison sentence to be considered for him," another said.
The court ruled rape was not definitively proven "because full penetration" could not be established.
The decision came despite what the alleged victims described as substantial evidence.
DNA testing from saliva on one victim's body matched the accused, according to Hanieh Pourgholamalinejad, a lawyer representing one complainant.
Police also arrested the suspect carrying a knife and pepper spray that matched victims' descriptions.
Most victims did not hire lawyers, believing the evidence was overwhelming and sufficient to lead to a guilty verdict.
"I didn't have a lawyer because I had complete documents and never imagined the death sentence would be reduced to lashing," an accuser said.
The attacks followed a consistent pattern: a man would approach women in secluded areas around Tehran's Lowzan district, threatening them with a knife and pepper spray before assaulting them, according to police reports and victim statements.
One attack happened at 2pm in a park while the victim's husband and children were nearby.
"I was at the park with my husband and two children," she said. "My mother called, and I moved away from the park playground, and that's when it happened. He attacked me and raped me right there."
Another happened on a dark pedestrian walkway near a motorway in Tehran, where street lights have been switched off due to energy shortages.
One victim miscarried after the assault. Another said her entire family developed depression and anxiety following the attack.
'Put his arm around my neck'
"He came forward and stood in front of me. When I tried to change my direction, he attacked me, put his arm around my neck and started pressing on my neck," an accuser said.
"He threatened me that he had a knife and if I screamed, he would kill me."
Women reported additional obstacles beyond the courtroom. One said forensic examiners deliberately omitted rape evidence from her medical report.
"The response I received was that mentioning rape details in the report would cause trouble for them [authorities], and for that reason, they had refrained from recording it," she said.
The case moved between multiple court branches over two years. Branch 11 issued a death sentence after more than 10 hearings.
After transfers to Branch 3 and then Branch 2, judges issued the final acquittal.
Some victims received no official notification of the verdict change and learnt about it only through other complainants.
Ms Pourgholamalinejad said the accused repeatedly contacted her client seeking forgiveness and said her client feared his release.
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