This is the warning which just released by UN:
GENEVA (22 January 2014) – The United Nations Special Rapporteurs on the
situation of human rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, and on summary
executions, Christof Heyns, today called on the Government of Iran to
urgently halt the abrupt surge in hangings in the country since the start
of 2014.
“We are dismayed at the continued application of the death penalty with
alarming frequency by the authorities, despite repeated calls for Iran to
establish a moratorium on executions,” the independent experts said,
stressing “the inherently cruel, inhuman and degrading nature of the death
penalty.”
At least 40 persons have been reportedly hanged in the first two weeks of
January, of which at least 33 executions were carried out in the past week
alone. 625 executions, including at least 28 women and a number of
political prisoners were reported to have been carried out in 2013.
The majority of those executions were for drug-related offences, but a
number of individuals were also executed for the crimes of Moharabeh
(‘enmity against God’), or acting against national security.
“It is deeply concerning that the Government proceeds with executions for
crimes that do not meet the threshold of the ‘most serious crimes’ as
required by international law, and when serious concerns remain about due
process rights,” the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or
arbitrary executions said.
“I would like to recall once again that, if the death penalty is to be used
at all in the countries which have not yet abolished it, international law
requires that it may be imposed only after proceedings that met the highest
level of respect of fair trial and due process standards. The ‘most serious
crimes’ provision further requires that it is imposed only for the offence
of intentional killing,” Mr. Heyns noted.
The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran also raised
alarm at the recent pace of executions of political activists and
individuals from ethnic minority groups, and urged the Government to stop
the execution and to revisit the cases of people at risk of execution.
“The persistent execution of individuals for exercising their rights to
freedom of assembly, association, and affiliation to minority groups
contravenes universally accepted human rights principles and norms,” Mr.
Shaheed said.
The independent human rights expert noted that the Government had hanged 16
members of the Baloch community on 26 October 2013, in reprisal to the
killings of 14 border guards the day before.
“Execution of individuals as a form of retaliation for another crime is an
action unquestionably illegal under international human rights law,” the
experts said. “The Government of Iran has legal and moral obligations to
respect the right to life, which is the most fundamental of all human
rights.”
“We once more urge the Government of Iran, as an active member of the
international community, to heed the calls for a moratorium on executions,
especially in cases relating to political activists and alleged
drug-offences,” they said.
“In the meantime, we urge the Iranian authorities at least to restrict the
use of the death penalty to what is permissible as an exception under
international law, and namely to limit its imposition only for the crime of
intentional killing, and to respect stringently international standards
guaranteeing fair trial and due process for those facing the death
penalty,” the Special Rapporteurs stressed.
The experts’ appeal was also endorsed by the UN Special Rapporteur on
torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Juan
E. Méndez.
ENDS
Ahmed Shaheed (the Maldives) is a Visiting Professor at the Human Rights
Centre, Essex University, UK; and a former foreign policy advisor to the
President of the Maldives. Mr Shaheed was Foreign Minister of the Maldives
from 2005 to 2007 and from 2008 to 2010. He led the country’s efforts to
sign and ratify the major international human rights Conventions and to
implement them in law and practice. He was appointed as the Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran in June 2011 by the UN
Human Rights Council. As Special Rapporteur, he is independent from any
government or organization and serves in his individual capacity. Learn
more, visit:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/IRIndex.aspx
The Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions,
Christof Heyns (South Africa), is a director of the Institute for
International and Comparative Law in Africa and Professor of Human Rights
Law at the University of Pretoria, where he has also directed the Centre
for Human Rights, and has engaged in wide-reaching initiatives on human
rights in Africa. He has advised a number of international, regional and
national entities on human rights issues. Mr. Heyns’ research interests
include international human rights law and human rights law in Africa.
Learn more, log on to:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Executions/Pages/SRExecutionsIndex.aspx
Check the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CCPR.aspx
UN Human Rights, country page - Iran:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/IRIndex.aspx
For more information and media requests, please contact Naveed Ahmed (+41
22 928 9477 / nahmed@ohchr.org) or write to sr-iran@ohchr.org
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 /
xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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