Iran hangs three in southeastern city of Zahedan
Washington, 11 August (IranVNC)—Iran hanged three alleged drug traffickers in the southeastern city of Zahedan, the state-run IRIB television’s website reports. According to an AFP count, today’s hangings bring the total number of those executed in Iran to 166 this year.
By: IranVNC
Published: Monday, August 11, 2008
15:24GMT—11:24AM/EST
IRAN – EXECUTIONS – MINORS
Washington, 11 August (IranVNC)—Iran hanged three alleged drug traffickers in the southeastern city of Zahedan, the state-run IRIB television’s website reports. According to an AFP count, today’s hangings bring the total number of those executed in Iran to 166 this year.
The report states that the three men, Gol-Mohammad Saleh-Zehi, Rahim Baranzehi, and Lalmohammad Zeinoddini, were convicted for carrying 30 kilos (66 pounds) of morphine and 22 kilos (48 pounds) of heroin.
No further information on the three was given.
Zahedan is the capital of the volatile Sistan-va-Baluchistan Province, which borders both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In a phone interview with IranVNC on 7 August, Drewery Dyke, a researcher on Iran at the London-based Amnesty International, said that Iran’s high rate of executions for drug offenders raises concerns about the country’s commitment to due process.
Pointing to a global trend away from executions for “victimless crimes, particularly related to drug offenses”, Drewery said: “But the concern about the numbers and what it suggests about due process really calls into question the commitment that the authorities have about due process.”
Drug trafficking, adultery, armed robbery, murder and rape are among some of the offenses punishable by death in the Islamic Republic.
Meanwhile, the Iran Human Rights Group website reported yesterday that 19-year-old Amir Amrollahi, who was convicted of murder at the age of 16, is at imminent risk of execution.
The alleged murder took place in November 2006 during a fight between Amrollahi and a boy identified as Mohsen in the city of Shiraz.
Amrollahi was sentenced to death that same year, the report states. The sentence was later confirmed by Iran’s Supreme Court on 19 Mehr 1386 [11 October 2007].
Joe Stork, the Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch, told IranVNC today that Iran’s use of Sharia law to justify the execution of minors is “absurd”.
“To interpret the Sharia in general and decide a 9 or 14 year old is capable of the kind of judgment and intent that is necessary … to commit a crime, frankly, it has no credibility whatsoever,” Stork said.
According to Rooz Online website, Amrollahi is the fifth minor sitting on death-row in Iran. The report names Mohammad Fada’i, Behnoud Shoja’i, Abomoslem Sohrabi and Soqra Najafpour.
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”.
Following international outcry over Iran’s mass execution of 29 individuals on 27 July, Tehran’s provisional Friday prayer leader, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, lauded Iran’s actions, saying on 1 August that Iran’s decision was a “decisive move [that] was a very good one, since the roots of corruption need to be dried.”
Sources: IRIB News website, IranVNC correspondent, Iran Human Rights group website, Rooz Online website, Agence France-Presse, Amnesty International, IRNA in Persian
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