She ripped off her hijab in court and threw her shoes at the judge. She screamed that the man who raped her should be punished, not her. The judge responded by sentencing her to death.
On August 15, 2004, 16-year-old Atefeh Rajabi Sahaaleh was publicly hanged from a crane in the town of Neka, Iran. The judge in her case, Haji Rezai, personally placed the noose around her neck. She was left hanging for approximately 45 minutes. Her father had not been informed of the execution.
Atefeh had first been arrested at 13 after being found alone in a car with a boy. She received prison time and 100 lashes. According to a BBC documentary, she was sexually assaulted by guards during detention. She was arrested and convicted twice more for "crimes against chastity." Under Iranian law, a fourth conviction carried an automatic death sentence.
The man involved, 51-year-old Ali Darabi, a former Revolutionary Guard member, received 95 lashes. Her court documents falsified her age as 22. Amnesty International called the execution a crime against humanity. Iran later issued a posthumous pardon.