Helmut Hofer
Encyclopedia
Helmut Hofer is a German
businessman arrested and imprisoned in Iran
in September 1997, convicted of having had sexual
relations with a Muslim
Iran
ian woman, Vahideh Ghessemi.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/611419.stmhttp://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE13/002/2000/en/dom-MDE130022000en.html He was sentenced
to 99 lashes followed by death. The sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court
in July 1998, but reinstated by the court of first hearing in October.
Hofer's case was again referred to the court of first hearing for a retrial in February 1999, and he was freed on bail
two months later. He was rearrested in August 1999 and accused of having links to foreign elements, of which he was later acquitted
. In October 1999 he was fined the equivalent of US$23,000 as a substitute for the 99 lashes. He was also charged with insulting a prison guard, for which he was fined the equivalent of a further US$6,600 in January 2000, before he was released and permitted to leave the country.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
businessman arrested and imprisoned in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
in September 1997, convicted of having had sexual
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
relations with a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian woman, Vahideh Ghessemi.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/611419.stmhttp://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE13/002/2000/en/dom-MDE130022000en.html He was sentenced
Sentence (law)
In law, a sentence forms the final explicit act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. The sentence can generally involve a decree of imprisonment, a fine and/or other punishments against a defendant convicted of a crime...
to 99 lashes followed by death. The sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
in July 1998, but reinstated by the court of first hearing in October.
Hofer's case was again referred to the court of first hearing for a retrial in February 1999, and he was freed on bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
two months later. He was rearrested in August 1999 and accused of having links to foreign elements, of which he was later acquitted
Acquittal
In the common law tradition, an acquittal formally certifies the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as the criminal law is concerned. This is so even where the prosecution is abandoned nolle prosequi...
. In October 1999 he was fined the equivalent of US$23,000 as a substitute for the 99 lashes. He was also charged with insulting a prison guard, for which he was fined the equivalent of a further US$6,600 in January 2000, before he was released and permitted to leave the country.