In response to the 2nd Degree guilty verdict handed to white supremacist Craig Tanber for his role in the murder of 22-year-old Iranian American Shayan Mazroei, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) released the following statement:
“Four years ago, a 22-year old Iranian-American, Shayan Mazroei, was stabbed to death at a bar in Laguna Niguel. The senseless and violent death of Shayan has been felt by a community shaken by such racially motivated hate, but the real tragedy is for Shayan’s family and loved ones, for his parents who continue to grieve the loss of their son everyday.
“Though Tanber was found guilty on 2nd degree murder charges, justice is incomplete, as Shayan’s death was a clear case of hate based on his Iranian heritage. Tanber, a white supremacist, verbally assaulted Shayan using racial slurs and attacking his Iranian background. As the evidence in the case showed, Tanber waited to attack Shayan with a knife after an initial verbal assault. For these reasons the Mazroei family justifiably sought hate crime charges.
“Against the principles of justice, Tanber was not charged with a hate crime, despite the evidence showing that he was motivated to kill Shayan because of his Iranian heritage. Though a 1st degree murder charge would have been more deserving, we hope the 2nd degree guilty verdict may bring some justice to a family still in mourning.
“Nothing can truly right such a crime, as no verdict will bring Shayan back to his family. Any life taken, especially so young is a tragedy, but to be taken because of racism and hate is beyond words. We must continue to fight against all forms of hate in order to prevent these heinous crimes. Today, our hearts are with the Mazroei family, in hopes that this partial justice will in some way ease their pain.”
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