January 17, 2025
The government has executed a man dubbed the “Terror of Tehran,” who stabbed at least 59 women from his moped in random drive-by attacks. Woman-hating Rastgooei Kandolaj would attack his victims using a woodworking tool, an awl, inflicting injuries. But none of the women died.
He attacked women randomly, including those abiding by the dress code and those ignoring it. Numerous women reported the assailant was masked and riding a motorcycle when he carried out his attacks in November 2018. An awl is conventionally used to make small holes in wood or leather.
Kandolaj was convicted of “corruption on earth,” a vague crime that carries the death penalty. It wasn’t clear why the Judiciary tried him on that charge rather than assault, since he killed no one. A security camera caught Kandolaj in action, with a woman walking casually down a street as he pulls up beside her on his motorbike and stabs her with the awl.
The Judiciary announced December 18: “The death sentence of Rastgooei Kandolaj, who injured women and girls with an awl and created terror in Tehran, was carried out.” Kandolaj appealed his conviction and requested a retrial, but that was denied by the Supreme Court, which endorsed the original death sentence.