Halt the Execution of Juvenile Alireza Molla-Soltani

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SCE Campaign
by SCE Campaign
20-Sep-2011
 

20 September 2011
Source: Amnesty International Press Release

Teenager accused of killing “Iran’s strongest man” set to be hanged

The Iranian authorities must halt the execution of a 17-year old accused of killing an athlete known as “Iran’s strongest man”, Amnesty International said today.

Alireza Molla-Soltani is to be hanged in public on Wednesday in the city of Karaj, near Tehran.

“The fact that Iran has decided to execute a 17-year old shows how little respect the authorities have for international human rights standards,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“What’s more, executing juvenile offenders is strictly forbidden under international treaties that Iran has signed up to. The Iranian authorities must uphold their international obligations, overturn this death sentence and review Alireza Molla-Soltani’s case,” she said.

The boy was arrested a day after Ruhollah Dadashi, a popular athlete was stabbed three times during a driving dispute on 17 July. Alireza Molla-Soltani says he panicked and stabbed Ruhollah Dadashi in self-defence after the athlete attacked him in the dark, according to local media reports.

Ruhollah Dadashi reportedly punched Alireza Molla-Soltani in the mouth and slammed him against the car while the two were arguing.

Shortly after Alireza Molla-Soltani was arrested, a state prosecutor called for “a speedy resolution” of the case. A court in Karaj convicted the boy of “intentional murder” and on 20 August sentenced him to hanging in public. Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence on 11 September.

Alireza Molla-Soltani is to be hanged in Karaj’s Golshiri Square, where the incident happened, according to media reports quoting the victim’s brother who, by law, must be present at the execution.

Two of the boy’s friends who were with him on the night of the incident are reportedly to receive 80 lashings each in public at the same time.

“While we acknowledge the seriousness of the crime for which Alireza Molla-Soltani has been convicted, hanging a minor for acting in what appears to be self-defence is wrong and legally dubious,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui

“Furthermore, the Iranian authorities must immediately order a halt to these floggings, and to review the conviction and sentence of all three.  Floggings are cruel punishments amounting to torture which are also forbidden under international law,” she added.

According to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, international treaties to which Iran is a state party, sentencing someone under the age of 18 at the time of their offence to death is unlawful.

Iran is one of the very few countries still to execute juvenile offenders.  Two were executed in the southern port of Bandar Abbas in April this year.  Amnesty International also received reports that a third, 16-year-old Hashem Hamidi, was executed near Hamidiya, Khuzestan province in April.  The authorities did not announce his execution.

Public Document

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For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW, UK

www.amnesty.org

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Sahameddin Ghiassi

شما از مردمی که دوستی را با کلاشی پاسخ میدهند

Sahameddin Ghiassi


شما از مردمی که دوستی را با کلاشی پاسخ میدهند و کمک را با دشمنی و اعتماد را با دزدی و فساد چه توقعی دارید؟ آری که از ماست که برماست . کسانیکه خیانت میکنند احترام دارند عزت دارند و بالا نشین هستند کسانیکه با کار و کوشش و سلامت زندگی کردند اند به حاشیه ها رانده میشوند. و کل دنیا دارد بسوی بی تفاوتی و ظلم میرود در کشورهای مثلا پیشرفته با قانون و سیستم مردم را غارت میکنند و در کشورهای دیگر با تفرقه زور و قلدری و قتل و جنایت خیانت و پستی دروغ و کلک؟ جوانانی که با شیادی و خرافه ها و توهمات و فساد همدم شده اند خوب معلوم است که دنبال قتل جان کندن میروند وبرایشان یک مساله عادی شده است.در حالیکه دیگران به غارت مشغول هستند و دزدیهای مافیایی میکنند آنوقت دست دزد بینوایی را قطع میکنند؟ دزدی اگر بد است نبایست جلوی آنکسی که میلیاردها دلار دزدیده است را گرفت و دست اورا قطع کرد؟ باری در همه دنیا قانون به نفع سرمایه داران ستمکاران دزدان عظیم شان است و مردم عادی را خشن و بی تفاوت بار میآورند تا بدین وسیله راههای خلاف و دزدیهایشان آزاد باشد؟ قوی شو اگر طعم زندگی خواهی که در نظام طبیعت ضعیف منکوب است ؟ دزدی کن که هرگز محتاج نشوی؟ قاتلان عظیم شان دزدان عظیم شان آزادند و خرده پاهای بدبخت و بینوا بایست درباره شان قانون اجرا شود؟ چرا قانون از کجا آورده ای اجرا نمی شود تا معلوم شود میلیاردها دلار ثروتهای غارت شده از بیت مال مردم خاورمیانه و شمال آفریقا چگونه به دست آنان رسیده است؟


Disenchanted

It is rather disgusting and disturbing to see some...

by Disenchanted on

 

    fail to make a distinction between bunch of criminals who deserve to be punished and those who are being imprisoned or harmed because of their political opinion!

    How can one be so blinded by hatred to mix some of the worst selfish and violent members of society with some who sacrifice their life for freedom?

    This is an unforgivable blunder that has been repeated on IC and other media time and again in recent years. It is also an insult to every freedom seeking Iranian who puts him/herself at risk for the benefit of the country.

      Not every murderer jerk hanging from ropes can be made into a hero! Lets get the facts and values straight.


پندارنیک

I dare say...

by پندارنیک on

To be against Capital Punishment is one thing, to be a sentimentalist with a clandestine agenda is something else................

You do grown-up crime, you get grown-up sentence. End of story.......

And don't even try to pretend that you never noticed Tabarzin's face-off blog on a (somewhat) similar subject.............Execute your lively opinions there, as well...


Simorgh5555

When children are being

by Simorgh5555 on

When children are being executed in Iran; women are chained and flogged and young inmocent men and women who took part in the 2009 protesters are being beaten and murdered in prison please do NOT sign this petition to stop child executions in Iran. Instead, please go cry a river for Palestine and sign their petition for statehood recognition. There are more important things to worry about than chikdren being executed in Iran


Disenchanted

Good for him. Let the bastard die!

by Disenchanted on

 

    Well, 17 or 18. Not much difference there. Some folks in Iran are one year older than what their birth certificate shows. Really, what if he is really 18 but his birth certificate says 17. Should we let this low life criminal bastard get away with such a gruesome murder?!

       If the guy is old enough to drive and carry a knife (a sword for that matter) he is old enough as well to bear the punishment for his despicable act.

       I can imagine if he would have killed someone by accident say, hitting someone on the head or pushing them or something. This animal was carrying a big knife expecting events like this. He was looking for such encounters. He had no mercy on his victims or any other possible victim. Society should have no mercy for him. Cut him off like a cancerous tumor and have no pity!


maghshoosh

Too late for Molla-Soltani

by maghshoosh on


Soosan Khanoom

Thanks for the info ....

by Soosan Khanoom on

This is so sad.  He is just a kid.

I will contact the Amnesty International. Let us hope that our voices will be heard.