About 1,500 social activists in Iran issued a statement in which they called for an end to the execution of criminals below the age of 18.
The statement called capital punishment of convicts below the age of 18 who have not reached adulthood and are incapable of properly distinguishing rights from wrong cruel, unfair and inhuman. Part of the statement said:
– Relying on the cry of conscience,
– In unison, with learning from the international human society,
– Underscoring the need for widespread education,
– In unison with many Islamic countries who have accepted the rule that each life is precious and act in that regard,
– Following the international convention to support the rights of children,
– Realizing that important factors in social ills within our society are rooted in economical, social and political conditions,
– Accepting the order that, while prevention methods must be prioritized, in the mean time these sorts of social crimes must be judicially dealt with using less severity and that the choice of a form of punishment must be adjusted based on ages and conditions of criminals,
– And by a fair and free elected council of people;
We claim and state that people under 18 must not be executed and they should be given new opportunities to be rehabilitated, their growth must be nurtured and their employment supported in their movement toward a better life style
