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In their second letter to Sadegh Larijani, Head of the Iranian Judiciary, the Defenders of Human Rights Center has objected strongly to the issuance and execution of death sentences, especially in the cases of those arrested during post-elections protests. The group has demanded emphatically that the Head of the Judiciary stop the executions and prevent death sentence verdicts for post-elections protesters. The Center asked the Head of the Judiciary to examine the disproportionate charges and sentences of the suspects, and to respond regarding whether the Judiciary’s conduct is politically motivated.

The letter, which was published on 9 March 2010, has the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi’s signature under it. In the aftermath of the Iranian elections, more than 13 execution sentences were issued for protesters, two of which have been carried out so far. The Defenders of Human Rights Center is comprised of distinguished Iranian human rights attorneys who have been under severe pressure from Iranian intelligence and judicial organization, some of whom have been informally barred from accepting the cases of political prisoners. The Defenders of Human Rights Center states its reason for publishing this letter is the emergence of news about the surge of death sentences, as in the case of Mohammad Amin Valian, the young student who is accused of throwing rocks during Ashura Day protests.

Part of the letter states: “You are aware that Iran is one... >>>