GENEVA (28
June 2012) Three United Nations Special
Rapporteurs* on Iran, summary
executions and torture condemned the recent execution of four members of
the Ahwazi Arab minority in Ahwaz’s Karoun Prison in the Islamic
Republic of Iran. Following a reportedly unfair trial, they were
sentenced to death and executed on or around 19 June 2012.e
“Given the lack of transparency in court
proceedings, major concerns remain about due process and fairness of
trialsin cases involving the death penalty in Iran,” said the
independent human rights experts, recalling the execution of Abdul
Rahman Heidarian, Abbas Heidarian, Taha Heidarian and Ali Sharif. The
four men, three of whom are brothers, were reportedly arrested in April
2011 during a protest in Khuzestan and convicted of Moharebeh (enmity
against God) and Fasad-fil Arz (corruption on earth).e
“Under
international law, the death penalty is the most extreme form of
punishment, which, if it is used at all, shouldbe imposed only for the
most serious crimes,” they said. “Defendants in death penalty cases
should also receive fair trial guarantees stipulatedin the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Iran in 1975.”e
“Any death
sentence undertaken in contravention of those international obligations
is tantamount to an arbitrary execution,” the three UN Special
Rapporteurs stressed.e
The rights
experts noted with concern the high numbers of executions carried out in
public, despite a circular issuedin January 2008 by the Iranian Chief
Justice that banned public executions.At least 25 executions have been
carried out in public this year.e
“Executions
in public add to the already cruel, inhuman and degrading nature of the
death penalty and can only have a dehumanizing effect on the victim and a
brutalizing effect on those who witness the execution,” the independent
experts underscored.e
The Special
Rapporteurs regretted that theauthorities continue to apply the death
penalty with alarming frequency, despite numerous calls to the
Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to establish a moratorium on
executions. At least 140 executions are known to have been carried out
since the beginning of 2012, with some sources indicating the figure to
be as high as 220. The majority of these are for drug-related offences,
which the experts do not believe constitute the "most serious crimes" as
required by international law.e
The UN
independent experts urged the Iranian authorities “to halt immediately
the imposition of the death penalty for crimes which do not constitute
the most serious crimes, as well as ensure stringent respect for fair
trial guarantees.”e
(*) The
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic
Republic of Iran, Ahmed Shaheed; the Special Rapporteur on
extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns; and the
Special Rapporteuron torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment, Juan E. Méndez.e
ENDS
UN Human Rights, country page - Iran: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/IRIndex.aspx
Check the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm
For more information log on to:e
Special Rapporteur on Iran: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/IRIndex.aspx
Summary executions: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Executions/Pages/SRExecutionsIndex.aspx
Torture: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Torture/SRTorture/Pages/SRTortureIndex.aspx
For further information and media requests, please contact Naveed Ahmed ( +41 22 928 94 77 /
nahmed@ohchr.org)e
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:e
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 /
xcelaya@ohchr.org)e
UN Human Rights, follow us on social media:e
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Check the Universal Human Rights Index: http://uhri.ohchr.org/en
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