Amnesty International Calls On Iran to Halt ‘Imminent’ Execution of Three Child Offenders

Amnesty International Calls On Iran to Halt ‘Imminent’ Execution of Three Child Offenders

Published by on February 25, 2019

Amnesty International has urged the Iranian authorities to immediately halt plans to execute three young men who are on death row for crimes that took place while they were under the age of 18.

In a press release issued on 22 February, the London-based Amnesty International said it has learned that Mohammad Kalhori, Barzan Nasrollahzadeh and Shayan Saeedpour, who were all convicted for separate crimes that took place while they were minors, are at risk of imminent execution.

Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty International Saleh Higazi said: “The Iranian authorities must act quickly to save these young men’s lives. Failing to stop their execution would be another abhorrent assault on children’s rights by Iran. International human rights law strictly prohibits the use of the death penalty against people who were under the age of 18 when the crime was committed.”

“The death penalty is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Its use is horrendous in all circumstances but is even more appalling when it is used as punishment against people who were under 18 when the crimes took place and within a judicial system that is blatantly unfair.”

Iran is one of a handful of countries that continue to execute juvenile offenders in flagrant violation of international law. Over the past three years the Iranian authorities have stepped up such executions.

Amnesty International said it was aware of more than 90 cases of people in Iran currently on death row for crimes that took place when they were under 18. The rights organization said the real number is likely to be far higher.

 


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