Amnesty International has expressed its outrage over an "alarming rate" of executions in Iran, particularly the use of the death penalty against children.
The human rights organisation has recorded 28 executions so far in 2006, following at least 94 in 2005 - although it states that "the true figure is likely to be much higher." The use of the death penalty is increasingly being used against political prisoners.
An Amnesty press release highlighted the case of two Ahwazi Arabs who face imminent execution - Mohammad Ali Sawari and Mehdi Nawaseri. The British Ahwazi Friendship Society (BAFS) highlighted the cases of Mehdi Nawaseri and his brother Abdolreza Nawaser on 21 February ( click for details ).
The Iranian regime has stated that seven of 45 people accused of bomb attacks in Ahwaz had been convicted of "enmity with God, corruption on earth and murder". Amnesty says the offences carry heavy penalties, including "execution, cross amputation [amputation of right hand and left foot], crucifixion for three days, or banishment."
Amnesty states that it "recognizes the rights and responsibilities of governments to bring to justice those suspected of committing recognizably criminal offences, but the organization is unconditionally opposed to the use of the death penalty as the ultimate violation of the right to life. It therefore urges the Iranian authorities to impose an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty and to abide by its international obligations not to execute anyone for an offence committed when they were a child."
Link: "Iran: Worrying trends in use of death penalty" - Amnesty International Press Release, 24 February 2006
Labels: Amnesty , death penalty
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keywords: ahvaz ahwaz ahwazi arabistan khuzestan khuzistan khuzestani arab arabistan iran iranian human rights security oil news ahmadinejad ethnic cleansing
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