UN experts urge Iran to halt juvenile’s execution
GENEVA (17 January 2016) - UN experts today urged the
Islamic Republic of Iran to halt the possibly imminent execution of a juvenile
offender.
“We are deeply concerned that the life of a juvenile
offender remains in danger and that he may be executed at any moment,” said the
experts, Asma Jahangir, Special Rapportueur on the situation of human rights in
the Islamic Republic of Iran, Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on
extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and Benyam Dawit Mezmur Chairperson
of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
The offender was 15 years old when he was sentenced to
death in 2012 for stabbing a man. In February 2014, he was granted a retrial on
the basis of the new juvenile sentencing provisions of the 2013 Islamic Penal
Code.
However, in June 2015 the Provincial Criminal Court of
Kermanshah Province found that, at the time of the commission of the crime, he
was mature enough to understand the nature of his crime. The court therefore
confirmed his death sentence and rejected his argument that he had acted in
self-defence following a rape attempt. The death sentence was upheld by Iran’s
Supreme Court in August 2016.
Iran remains one of several States which execute juvenile
offenders despite its strict prohibition under the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to
which Iran is a party.
“The Iranian authorities must immediately halt the
execution of this juvenile and annul the death sentence against him in
compliance with international standards for the imposition of this form of
punishment,” the experts stressed.
Several other juveniles were retried under the revised
juvenile sentencing guidelines of the 2013 Islamic Penal Code, and also found
to be mature enough to be sentenced to death. Fifteen others were reportedly
sentenced to death for the first time under these guidelines.
In January 2016, the Committee on the Rights of the Child
urged Iran to end the execution of children and persons who committed a crime
while under the age of 18. However, at least five juvenile offenders were
executed in 2016 and, to date more than 78 juveniles are reported to be on
death row.
“Iran must observe its international obligations by
putting an end to the execution of juvenile offenders once and for all,” the
experts said.
Ms. Jahangir and Ms. Callamard also expressed outrage at
the reported execution of 16 alleged drug offenders on Saturday 14 January.
“Under international law, countries which have retained
the death penalty may only impose it for the most serious crimes, that is,
those involving intentional killing. Drug-related offences do not meet this
threshold,” the experts highlighted.
“Moreover, information we received show that the trials
of some of these people marred by
violations of due process guarantees and that the proceedings fell short of
international fair trial standards,” the experts said. ”Any death sentence
undertaken in contravention of a Government’s international obligations is
unlawful and tantamount to an arbitrary execution.”
Over the past two years, more 1,000 people have
reportedly been executed for drug related offences in Iran and currently some
5,000 people are reported to be on death row for drug offences.
“Until the death penalty for drug related offences is
abolished in Iran, a moratorium on these executions should be instituted and
all scheduled executions for drug- related offences halted,” the two experts
stressed.
The experts also noted that human rights defenders
campaigning against the death penalty in Iran are being increasingly targeted.
Several anti-death penalty activists were sentenced to long prison sentences in
2016.
ENDS
Ms. Asma Jahangir (Pakistan) was designated as the
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of
Iran by the Human Rights Council in September 2016 Ms. Jahangir was elected as
President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan and as Chairperson
of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Over the years, she has been
recognized both nationally and internationally for her contribution to the
cause of human rights and is a recipient of major human rights awards. She has
worked extensively in the field of women’s rights, protection of religious
minorities and in eliminating bonded labour. She is a former Special Rapporteur
on summary executions, and on freedom of religion.
Ms. Agnes Callamard (France) is the Special Rapporteur on
extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. She has a distinguished career
in human rights and humanitarian work globally. Ms. Callamard is the Director
of Columbia Global Freedom of Expression at Columbia University and has
previously worked with Article 19 and Amnesty International. She has advised
multilateral organizations and governments around the world, has led human
rights investigations in more than 30 countries, and has published extensively
on human rights and related fields. Learn more, log on to:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Executions/Pages/SRExecutionsIndex.aspx
The Committee on the Rights of the Child is the body of
18 independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the
Rights of the Child by its State parties. It also monitors the Optional
Protocols to the Convention, on involvement of children in armed conflict and
on sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; as well as a
third Optional Protocol which will allow individual children to submit
complaints regarding specific violations of their rights. Learn more:
The Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups are part of
what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special
Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights
system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and
monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or
thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on
a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work.
They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their
individual capacity.
UN Human Rights, Country Page: Iran
For more information and media requests, please contact
Ms. Audrey Rinaldi (+41 22 917 92 25 /arinaldi@ohchr.org)
For media inquiries related to other UN independent
experts:
Xabier Celaya – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 /
xcelaya@ohchr.org)
Read the press release online:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21093&LangID=E
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