In July 1980, Nosrat Goel Tali'i, a Jewish hair salon owner, was executed in the city of Shiraz, Iran, while three months pregnant. She left behind a husband and four children, the eldest being 13. Tali'i was executed due to a false accusation, falsely accusing her of running a brothel from her salon.
The Iranian opposition channel Iran International recently shared Tali'i's harrowing story to mark the 44th anniversary of her execution.
On July 12, 1979, after the country's Islamic Revolution, Abdol Hossein Dastgheib, the imam of Shiraz, sent a telegram to Sadegh Khalkhali, the head of the revolutionary judiciary. Known for his cruelty, Khalkhali earned the notorious nickname "Iran's hanging judge." Dastgheib complained that no executions had yet taken place in Shiraz, calling it a disgrace to the city.
Khalkhali arrived in Shiraz and ordered the execution of 14 people, one of whom was Tali'i, who was pregnant at the time of her arrest. Despite a lack of evidence against her, Khalkhali ordered her execution based on the word of a member of the Revolutionary Guards.
Khalkhali's men were actually searching for another woman named Zahra, who operated a brothel in Shiraz. According to statements from a former army commander in Shiraz, Zahra paid a bribe and fled the city.
Furious, Khalkhali ordered his men to find Zahra. When they couldn't locate her and feared returning empty-handed, they went to the salon of the Jewish woman, arrested her and brought her before Khalkhali. Initially, Khalkhali thought Tali'i to be Zahra and asked her, "Are you Zahra?" Nosrat replied, "I am not Zahra, I am Nosrat Goel."
Khalkhali then said, "You are free to go." As the poor woman was about to leave, a member of the Revolutionary Guards whispered to Khalkhali, claiming that this woman also ran a brothel in her salon. Khalkhali then said, "If that's the case, execute her immediately."
Newspapers at the time reported that the revolutionary Sharia court ruled that Tali'i was executed for "corrupting young girls and selling them to men, running prostitution centers and smuggling."
Nosrat was executed on July 3, 1980, just an hour after Khalkhali's order. All her property was confiscated, leaving her family destitute. Nosrat was laid to rest in the Jewish cemetery in Shiraz.
The execution of the pregnant woman, alongside other simultaneous executions, caused an uproar in the city. Nosrats' family lodged a complaint through one of the city's clerics, Bahaddin Mahlati, who wrote a letter to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, protesting Khalkhali's actions.
In his letter to Khomeini, Mahlati wrote on behalf of Nosrat's family: "She fell victim to the indifference, search for glory and stubbornness of Sheikh Sadegh Khalkhali without a shred of guilt or sin. This unfortunate woman, who worked hard all her life to provide financial support for her impoverished family, was busy working in her shop, which was located next to other Muslim shops. They executed her without even allowing her to say goodbye to her orphaned children, grieving parents and her elderly, helpless and homeless husband. Now, in utter helplessness and with complete emotion, in utmost despair and hopelessness, we present our heartbreak, complaint, protest and declaration of this crime to the supreme authority."
"This heinous and unprecedented act and the horrific crime must be addressed, and those responsible must be punished. Let’s set aside the fact that this oppressed woman was entirely innocent and sentenced to death without a criminal record in the revolutionary court. Should the Islamic judiciary recklessly and fearlessly play with the lives and dignity of such families without cause?
"After killing this innocent and unfortunate woman, they confiscated her property, leaving all her children homeless. Should the innocent child in this woman’s womb be subjected to the cruel, illegal and unjust verdict of Sheikh Khalkhali under the pretext of supporting Islam and fighting against God and His messenger? The people of Shiraz know this hardworking and honorable family well, who have always lived with diligence, effort and respect. The verdict oppressing this unfortunate woman is well known.”
Khomeini responded to Mahlati’s letter, writing: “Regarding the issues occurring in the country that have caused your concern, I must say that I share your concern. However, it is clear that this great revolution is one of the best in the world, and it is unrealistic to expect everything to go as desired. Efforts will, of course, be made to address these concerns in accordance with Islamic law. It is hoped that the Islamic Council, mostly comprised of religious and committed individuals, will adequately resolve these issues and that an Islamic, committed, and revolutionary government will be established by the will of God. I pray for the best.”