Feb. 23
IRAN:
21 hangings, death sentences in 3 days -- Dissidents arrested in Southern
uprisings receive death sentences
The clerical regime in Iran has intensified the wave of executions and
suppression in an attempt to stem the tide of popular uprisings. In the
past 3 days, the state-run media have reported 4 hangings and 17 death
sentences issued for prisoners.
Reports indicate that on February 20, 2 young men, Abdi and Ali, were
hanged in the southwestern city of Andimeshk prison. A 22-year-old was
also executed in the northwestern city of Ardabil.
The head of the regime's judiciary on February 20 announced, "2 prisoners
have received death sentences for participating in the Ahwaz bombings and
5 others will receive sentences shortly."
On February 19, an appellate court of the regime approved a death sentence
for Mostafa Rasoul-Nia who was arrested during the Mahabad uprising. The
regime's Supreme Court has also approved a death sentence for a political
prisoner in Sanandaj. 2 other political prisoners have disappeared from
Sanandaj and Zanjan jails since February 20.
On February 20, the regime's Supreme Court issued a death sentence for a
prisoner in Bojnoord and on the same day the Intelligence Ministry
reported the execution of Khalid Hardani for hijacking a plane. In Ghazvin
a man was executed for "corruption on earth" and a sentence for 2
executions was issued for another prisoner in Isfahan for alleged armed
rubbery.
The Judiciary issued death sentences to a 20-year-old, a 45-year-old
Khan-Ali, 33-year-old Gholam-Reza, and 36-year-old Abbas. In addition, the
regime's Supreme Court approved another death sentence.
The Iranian Resistance draws the attention of the UN Security Council,
Human Rights Commission, High Commissioner for Human Rights, and other
human rights organizations to the increasing trend of executions in Iran.
The Iranian Resistance also calls for referral of the violations of human
rights in Iran to the UN Security Council for immediate action.
(source: Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran)
****************
CAMPAIGN BUILDS AGAINST IRAN JUVENILE DEATH PENALTY
The international campaign is building to save the life of a young Iranian
woman sentenced to be hanged for allegedly stabbing to death one of two
men who tried to rape her in March 2005, when she was 17, writes
Elisabetta Zamparutti, coordinator of the annual report of Hands Off Cain
on the death penalty worldwide.
In this article, the author writes that this is but one of many cases of
minors who are condemned to death in Iran by a misogynist totalitarian
regime that does not recognise the most fundamental of human rights,
particularly for women.
For Hands Off Cain, opposing the death penalty in Iran is first of all a
battle for the affirmation of human rights and the constitution of a
democratic state. For us, democracy in Iran also starts with the life of
this woman and all the forgotten women on death rows throughout the
country. Human rights observers allege that many of those charged for
common crimes, particularly drug-related crimes, are in reality political
opponents.
(source: IPS)
*************
News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International
AI Index: MDE 13/017/2006 20 February 2006
EU-IRAN:NUCLEAR DISPUTE MUST NOT OVERSHADOW HUMAN RIGHTS
The EU must address Iran's widespread human rights violations, says
Amnesty International, as Iranian Foreign Minister Manoucher Mottaki meets
with EU high officials Javier Solana, Benita Ferrero-Waldner and the
European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee.
Amnesty International has just released a report, "New government fails to
address dire human rights situation" (available at
http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maaevWpabor4ebb0havb/ describing the
failure of the new President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his government to
address the serious ongoing human rights violations.
This report illustrates an apparent intensification of repression over the
past 6 months since the President took office, which includes frequent use
of the death penalty and torture, persecution of ethnic and religious
minorities and limitations on freedom of speech.
Amnesty International regularly receives new reports of torture and ill
treatment of detainees where the denial of medical treatment is
increasingly common. The human rights organization is extremely concerned
for the safety of journalist Elham Afroutan who has been held
incommunicado since 29 January 2006 amid unconfirmed reports that she may
be in a coma or may have died while in custody (see also "Concern for
Journalist Elham
Afroutan"----http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maaevWpabor4fbb0havb/
Between July 2005 and January 2006, Amnesty International recorded 69
executions including those of 2 alleged minors. Death sentences continue
to be imposed for charges such as drinking alcohol or consensual adult
sexual relations.
"The EU must not be distracted by the current stand-off surrounding Iran's
nuclear programme," said Dick Oosting, director of Amnesty International's
EU Office "Iran is one of the few countries in the world that continues to
execute child offenders. The EU must take this opportunity to demand that
Iran introduces a moratorium on the executions of minors."
Amnesty International urges the EU high officials meeting with Mr
Manoucher Mottaki to:
- demand that child offenders currently awaiting execution have their
death sentences commuted;
- raise the individual cases described in Amnesty International's report
and demand the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience and a fair
and free trial for all political prisoners;
- demand that detainees have prompt and regular access to lawyers of their
own choosing and to appropriate medical care, if necessary.
The full report "New government fails to address dire human rights
situation", is available at:
http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maaevWpabor4gbb0havb/
All AI Documents on Iran:
http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maaevWpabor4ibb0havb/
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(source: Amnesty International)
VIETNAM:
Vietnam commutes Aussie's death sentence
Vietnam has commuted the death sentence of convicted Australian drug
trafficker Mai Cong Thanh.
Thanh, 46, of Victoria, was last year sentenced to face the firing squad
after being convicted of heroin trafficking in Ho Chi Minh City.
He now faces life imprisonment
Police found 1.7 kilograms of heroin hidden in 76 stereo speakers during a
raid of his rented workshop.
The speakers were among 306 waiting to be shipped to Australia from
Vietnam.
"According to competent authorities, stemming from our humanitarian
policy, President Tran Duc Luong has signed decisions to commute death
penalty to life imprisonment for some people, including Mai Cong Thanh,"
Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung said yesterday.
Australia's foreign minister Alexander Downer last week said Vietnam had
told him the death sentences for Thanh and a second convicted heroin
trafficker, Nguyen Van Chinh, 45, of Sydney, had been commuted.
But, Mr Dung said he could not confirm that the president had given
clemency to Chinh.
(source: The Age)
