EU beseeches Iran to put off execution of minors
Washington, 12 August (IranVNC)—The European Union released a statement today condemning the decision of the Iran’s court system to sentence a man to death for crimes committed when he was a minor.
By: IranVNC
Published: Tuesday, August 12, 2008
18:14GMT—2:14PM/EST
EXECUTIONS – IRAN – EU
Washington, 12 August (IranVNC)—The European Union released a statement today condemning the decision of the Iran’s court system to sentence a man to death for crimes committed when he was a minor.
“The death sentence flagrantly contravenes the international obligations and commitments of the Islamic republic of Iran as set out in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, both of which prohibit the execution of persons convicted of crimes committed when they were minors,” the statement said.
The EU released the statement on behalf of Amir Amrollahi, who is sentenced to be executed shortly for a murder charge of which he was convicted when he was 16-years-old.
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.
Joe Stork, the Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch, told IranVNC yesterday 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.
The EU has intervened on the part of several of Iran’s prisoners who were convicted while underage, and calls on Iran to “consider appropriate alternative penalties, educational and rehabilitative in nature, for those persons.”
Sources: Presidency of the European Union website
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