Iran hangs three in central city of Qom
Published: Thursday, August 07, 2008
16:00GMT—12:00PM/EST
IRAN – EXECUTION – AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Washington, 7 August (IranVNC)—Iran hanged three men today in the central city of Qom, the conservative Kayhan Newspaper reports, bringing the number of executions in that country to at least 190, according to an Amnesty International count.
The report said the three men, identified only by first name – Mehdi [27], Javad [34] and Ali [38] – were convicted of “having illegitimate relationships, murder and the sale and possession of 1,080 kg [2,370 pounds] of opium.”
No details of the alleged murder were provided.
Drewery Dyke, a researcher on Iran at the London-based Amnesty International, told IranVNC today that there are concerns about due process in Iran, which he called a “prolific user” of the death penalty.
“The failure to provide more details regarding either due process or the identity, and if not the identity, at least the nature of the process followed does raise some concerns, when one is confronted by such large numbers,” Dyke said.
According to Amnesty International, Iran executed 317 people last year, second only to China, even though its population is 18 times smaller.
Dyke also pointed to a December 2007 United Nations General Assembly resolution which called on member states to “establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.”
Iran has also received widespread criticism from international rights groups and bodies for its continued execution of juvenile offenders. In June, the European Union called on Iran to abolish executions against minors, which is prohibited by the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Iran is signatory to both treaties.
The rights groups have also urged Iran to repeal the punishment of death by stoning. On Tuesday, Iran’s Judiciary announced that it would place a moratorium on this practice.
But Dyke told IranVNC that “it remains to be seen” whether Iran will honor this pledge, noting that country had stoned to death Jafar Kiani in July 2007, despite a 2002 Judiciary ordered moratorium on the punishment.
Sources: IranVNC correspondent, Amnesty International, Kayhan Newspaper
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