December, 16 2009, 03:35pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7413 5566,After hours: +44 7778 472 126,Email:,press@amnesty.org
Iran: Stop Execution of Alleged Juvenile Offender, Mosleh Zamani
LONDON
The Iranian authorities must halt the imminent execution of alleged juvenile offender, Amnesty International said today.
According to unconfirmed reports, Mosleh Zamani is due to be
executed tomorrow morning in Dizel Abad Prison, in Kermanshah Province,
along with other unidentified prisoners. In 2006, he was sentenced to
death for allegedly raping his girlfriend when he was 17.
"Only weeks after the execution of Behnoud Shojaee on 11 October, it
appears that the Iranian authorities are yet again preparing to kill
someone accused of committing a crime when under the age of 18," said
Philip Luther, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Middle East
and North Africa Programme.
Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC). Both of these prohibit the use of the death penalty against
juvenile offenders, people under 18 at the time of the offence of which
they have been convicted.
"We appeal to the Head of the Judiciary to immediately issue an
order to stay this execution and to take the necessary steps to ensure
that Mosleh Zamani's death sentence is overturned."
Amnesty International has been told that 200 people have been
demonstrating in front of the Dizel Abad Prison today to protest
against tomorrow's executions.
Iran is one of very few countries in the world that still executes
juvenile offenders - people convicted of crimes committed before they
were 18.
Background
Mosleh Zamani was sentenced to death in 2006. According to Amnesty
International's information, he was convicted of abducting a woman
several years older than him, with whom he was allegedly having a
relationship, and raping her. His death sentence was confirmed by the
Supreme Court in July 2007. He may not have had adequate legal
representation.
According to Amnesty International's information, Mosleh Zamani was
transferred to solitary confinement on 11 December, but his execution
was not carried out for medical reasons. Amnesty International has also
learnt that Mosleh Zamani's alleged victim has asked that his life be
spared, stating that they had consensual sex, but that the Appeal Court
judge refused to take that into consideration, stating instead that he
should be executed in order to "set an example" to other young Iranians.
In many cases, juvenile offenders under sentence of death in Iran
are kept in prison until they pass their 18th birthday before their
executions are scheduled. In this period, some win appeals against
their conviction. Some have their sentence overturned on appeal and are
freed after a retrial. Some are reprieved by the family of the victim
in cases of murder and are asked to pay diyeh (compensation) instead.
Some are executed.
Public Document
****************************************
For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org
International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW, UK www.amnesty.org
Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all. Our supporters are outraged by human rights abuses but inspired by hope for a better world - so we work to improve human rights through campaigning and international solidarity. We have more than 2.2 million members and subscribers in more than 150 countries and regions and we coordinate this support to act for justice on a wide range of issues.
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