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(13 October 2010) The Iranian Parliament and Judiciary should immediately abolish cruel and inhumane punishments, such as limb amputation, stoning, and flogging, consistent with Iran’s international obligations, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today.

In recent days Iranian officials have acknowledged that amputations have been carried out and an increasing number of flogging sentences have been issued for post-election protestors.

“These inhumane and barbaric acts are nothing but torture under international law and should be abolished,” said Hadi Ghaemi, the Campaign’s spokesperson.

The head of the Iranian delegation to the United Nation’s Human Rights Council in February and June 2010, Mohammad Javad Larijani, told the Council that Iran does not consider such punishments as torture and that they are culturally justified.

“There is nothing about Iranian culture that sanctions such cruelty and it is time for the UN to establish a monitoring mechanism to hold Iran accountable for grossly violating its international obligations,” Ghaemi said.