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IRAN: EXECUTION SCHEDULED FOR JUVENILE
Source: Amnesty International

According to judicial officials in Shiraz, Mohammad Reza Haddadi has been moved to the quaranteen section of Adelabad prison, in preparation for his execution. However on 6 December 2009, Masoumeh Tahmasebi, one of Mohammad Reza Haddadis lawyers, told Deutsche Welle that she had not been informed of the scheduled execution and that another prisoner had telephoned her clients father to tell him that his son would be executed. Amnesty International is concerned that the prison authorities in Adelabad prison may go ahead with implementing the execution without prior notification to either his parents or his lawyer, as required under Iranian law.

Mohammad Reza Haddadi was sentenced to death in 2004 for a murder he allegedly committed when he was 15. His death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court in July 2005. He was first scheduled for execution in October 2008, but it was stayed on the order of the Head of the Judiciary. His execution was then scheduled again on 27 May 2009 and 16 July 2009. There is no further news of Naser Qasemi, who was also sentenced to death for a crime allegedly committed when he was under 18.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English or French in your own words
* calling on the Iranian authorities to halt the execution of Mohammad Reza Haddadi immediately, and commute his death sentence;
* reminding the authorities that Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which prohibit the use of the death penalty against people convicted of crimes committed when they were under 18.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic:

Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info_leader@leader.ir This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Via website: //www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=letter (English)
//www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php?p=letter(Persian)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary:

Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Via website: //www.dadiran.ir/tabid/75/Default.aspx
In the 1st starred box, put your given name; 2nd box: your family name; 3rd: your email address
Salutation: Your Excellency

AND COPIES TO:

Mr Bahram Ghasemi
Charg dAffaires, Embassy for the Islamic Republic of Iran
245 Metcalfe Street
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2K2
Fax: (613) 232-5712

Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran:

Mohammad Javad Larijani
Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri
Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 011 98 21 3390 4986
Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (In the subject line, put FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)
Salutation: Dear Mr Larijani

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Mohammad Reza Haddadi was sentenced to death in 2004 for a murder he allegedly committed when he was 15. He confessed to the murder, but retracted the confession during his trial, saying he had claimed responsibility for the killing only because his two co-defendants had offered to give his family money if he did so. During the trial he said that he had not taken part in the murder. His co-defendants later supported Mohammad Reza Haddadi's claims of innocence, and withdrew their testimony that had implicated him. They were both over 18 at the time of the crime and received prison sentences. Mohammad Reza Haddadis death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court in July 2005. He was first scheduled for execution in October 2008, but it was stayed on the order of the Head of the Judiciary. On 27 May 2009, the Head of the Judiciary had halted the execution of Mohammad Reza Haddadi, which was scheduled to take place that day in Adelabad prison in Shiraz. The Head of the Judiciary had ordered Branch 17 of the Supreme Court to conduct a review of the case. Although no trial sessions had been held, the execution was nevertheless scheduled again for 16 July 2009.

Since 1990 Iran has executed at least 45 people convicted of crimes committed when they were under 18. Eight of these executions were in 2008 and three in 2009.

The execution of juvenile offenders is prohibited under international law, including Article 6(5) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to which Iran is a state party, and so has undertaken not to execute anyone for crimes committed when they were under 18.

In Iran a person convicted of murder has no right to seek pardon or commutation from the state, in violation of Article 6(4) of the ICCPR. The family of a murder victim have the right either to insist on execution, or to pardon the killer and receive financial compensation (diyeh).

Last Updated on Tuesday, 08 December 2009 00:30. Over 90 000 people sign petition against child executions.