Four sentenced to death in Iran say confession was forced
Published: Sunday, August 10, 2008
10:40GMT—6:40AM/EST
IRAN – EXECUTION – MINOR – FORCED
Washington, 10 August (IranVNC)—Four men sentenced to death in northwestern Iran’s East Azarbayjan Province, including a 17-year-old, say their confessions were forced following days of detainment, the Etemad Melli Newspaper reported yesterday.
The four men, identified as Hamid, Ebrahim, Mohammad and Mehdi, were convicted of raping a man named Hojjat. The sentence must now be approved by Iran’s Supreme Court.
According to the report, the four denied raping the man, saying the incident was only a fight that broke out after they noticed Hojjat and three other men ruining land that Ebrahim’s father owns.
Mehdi, who is 17 years old, said that after police arrested him and Mohammad, they forced them to confess. “The officer said ‘write down what I say,’” Mehdi told Etemad Melli.
Hamid told Etemad Melli that the policeman had asked him to accept responsibility, telling Hamid “I will solve the problem”.
“But I did not accept,” Hamid said. He continued: “In the end, under pressure I wrote down everything he said and inked it with my fingerprint.”
The four were held for 32 days in prison before being released on a 15 million toman [$15,900] bail. The case before them was completed on 20 Khordad [9 June], at which time they were re-arrested. The verdict was handed down on 30 Tir [20 July].
“Every moment I feel that they want to throw the noose around our necks,” Mehdi said, adding: “although we are completely innocent, charges have been brought upon us and they have framed us.”
Ebrahim and Hamid both say that they have had problems with Hojjat and his family before.
“They [Hojjat’s family] had filed a complaint against us and now they have accused us,” Hamid told the newspaper.
The European Union and international human rights groups have called on Iran to abolish the death penalty for juvenile offenders.
On 30 July, nine international human rights groups reiterated this demand, saying the situation of juvenile offenders in that country has reached “crisis levels”.
The groups, which included Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, said Iran had executed eight minors in 2007 and four this year.
According to Human Rights Watch, Iran has sentenced 177 juvenile offenders to death in the last decade and has carried out 34 executions.
Iran says that it does not execute minors, but death sentences can be carried out once a convict reaches the age of 18.
Sources: Etemad Melli Newspaper, Amnesty International
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