https://iran-hrm.com/Annual report on the death penalty in Iran, October 2018 i Copyright©2018 by Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM) All rights reserved. A publication of the Iran Human Rights Monitor @IranHumanRightsMonitor @IranHrm ii Iran Human Rights Monitor Annual report on the death penalty in Iran, October 2018 iii INTRODUCTION THE DEATH PENALTY IN While 160 countries across the world have either abolished the Death Penalty or at least called a moratorium on its use, the clerical regime ruling Iran remains among the world›s most brutal. PRACTICE The Iranian regime executes more people per capita than any other country. The total number of executions carried out in Iran stands only next to China, whose population is over 17 folds greater. According to Amnesty International, Iran accounts for over half of executions world over. Tehran sanctions capital punishment for political dissidents as well as ethnic and religious minorities. Juvenile offenders and women are not excluded. Iran Human Rights Monitor recorded at least 3,602 death sentences carried out during Rouhani’s tenure. This includes the executions of 34 juvenile offenders, 84 women and 86 political prisoners. Since January 2018, at least 223 people have been executed. The executions of at least nine 107 countries have abolished the death political prisoners and six individuals who were penalty for all crimes under 18 at the time of the crime have been 7 countries have abolished the death confirmed. 35 executions were carried out in penalty for ordinary crimes public. The actual numbers are likely to be 28 countries are abolitionist in practice much higher as most executions are carried out 56 countries are retentionist secretly. 23 countries carried out executions in 2017 The death penatly is not only a means for punishment in Iran, but a tool for perserving the rule of those in power in the face of an increasingly furious populace. The most recent case was the Judiciary spokesman threatening to execute truckers participating in a nationwide strike to demand « Iran their rights. In yet another case, the head of the Revolutionary Court warned that those arrested remained in the January 2018 protests could face the death penalty. one of the On the occasion of the World Day Against the Death Penalty, Iran Human Rights Monitor draws attention in this report to the common use of the top five death penalty in Iran often carried out before completion of the due process of law against « young Iranians. executioners Iran HRM calls on all international human rights advocates, in particular the High Commissioner in 2017 for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, and the Working Group on Arbitrary Executions, to use their powers and authority to compel the clerical regime to stop its prevalent use of the death penalty. iv Iran Human Rights Monitor Annual report on the death penalty in Iran, October 2018 1 Ali Kazemi On January 30, authorities in Bushehr prison, in southern Iran, executed Ali Kazemi for a murder EXECUTION he allegedly committed when he was 15. He was executed even though the authorities had promised to try to halt the execution. On the OF CHILD morning of January 30, prison authorities called to reassure the family that the execution had OFFENDERS not taken place. However, at midday, Kazemi’s family found out that the execution had just been carried out. Iran is one of only four countries known to have executed child offenders since 2013. Mahboubeh Mofidi At least 85 individuals arrested as minors, are On January 30, in Nowshahr prison in northern known to be on death row. They include, Iran, authorities executed Mahboubeh Mofidi, Mohammad Kalhori, Hamid Ahmadi, Abolfazl who was married when she was 13, for the Naderi, Babak Pouladi, Mohammad Khazaian, alleged murder of her husband in 2014, when Pouria Tabaie, Mohammad Salehi, Mehdi she was 17. Mofidi was 20 when authorities Bohlouli, Mohammad Reza Haddadi and Saleh executed her on January 30 in Nowshahr prison Shariati. in Mazandaran province. In contrast to the international law, retrials of juvenile offenders pursuant to Article 91 of the 2013 Islamic Penal Code result in renewed death sentences following arbitrary assessments Abolfazl Chezani Sharahi of their “maturity” at the time of the crime. On June 27, Abolfazl Chezani Sharahi, aged 19, Article 6.5 of the International Covenant on Civil was executed in Qom prison in Qom province, and Political Rights states that death sentence central Iran. He was sentenced to death for “shall not be imposed for crimes committed by a murder committed when he was aged 14 persons below eighteen years of age.” based on an official medical opinion that he Iranian authorities detain death-row child was “mature” at the time of the crime. offenders until they pass their 18th birthday and then they execute them. Iran has executed at least five child offenders across the country since January 2018: Zeinab Sekaanvand On October -24 ,2year-old Kurdish woman Zeinab Sekaanvand was executed in Urumieh central prison, in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province, despite being only 17 at time of alleged crime. Sekaanvand was married at Amirhossein Pourjafar 15, suffered domestic abuse and reportedly On January 4, authorities in Karaj prison endured torture during her police interrogation. executed Amirhossein Pourjafar for the rape and murder of a -3year-old girl when he was 16. Pourjafar, who was 18 when he was executed, told Shargh newspaper on December 2017 ,30, that he was under influence of alcohol when he committed the crime. Mojtaba Farahbakhsh, Pourjafar’s lawyer, told the newspaper that Pourjafar had signs of a “conduct disorder” and had been hospitalized in a mental health center during his detention. Despite these circumstances, the authorities pushed ahead with carrying out the death penalty. 2 Iran Human Rights Monitor Salas said he was forced under torture to make a “confession” against himself. This “confession”, taken from his hospital bed, was broadcast on EXECUTION state television weeks before his trial and used as the only piece of evidence to convict him. OF POLITICAL He was not allowed access to his chosen lawyer at any point before or during his trial, and his independent lawyer’s repeated demands to the PRISONERS authorities to allow critical evidence indicating his innocence were dismissed outright. 10 political prisoners have been executed since January 2018, most of which despite international campaigns urging reprieve. Ramin Hossein Panahi, Zaniar Moradi and Loghman Moradi Ramin Hossein Panahi and cousins Zaniar Moradi and Loghman Moradi were executed on Saturday, September 8. The trials of all three men were grossly unfair. All were denied access to their lawyers and Ramin Hossein Panahi families after their arrest, and all said they were tortured into making “confessions”. They had been sentenced to death despite these massive failings in due process. The two cousins had spent eight years on death row since confessing to a 2009 killing of the son of a Muslim cleric in Marivan, a confession that both men later said was extracted under torture. Panahi was sentenced to death in January for allegedly drawing a weapon against Iranian security forces operating in northwestern Iran’s predominantly ethnic Kurdish region in June 2017. He confessed to taking up arms against the state, but Amnesty said family members who saw him in court believe he also was tortured into confessing because of apparent torture marks on his body. Zaniar Moradi and Loghman Moradi Ramin Hossein Panahi began a hunger strike at Rajaei Shahr prison on August 26 by sewing his lips together in protest at his death sentence. Mohammad Salas On June 18, Iranian authorities executed Mohammad Salas convicted of killing three police officers during clashes involving members of a Sufi order, despite calls to stop his execution. The -51year-old bus driver was convicted and sentenced to death in March following what the London-based rights watchdog described as a “grossly unfair trial.” Mohammad Salas Annual report on the death penalty in Iran, October 2018 3 DEATH-ROW PRISONERS, HORRIFYING NUMBERS Rjaie Shahr Prison The highest number of executions count up for Rajaishahr Prison. This prison is also known as Gohardasht. It’s located in the city of Karaj approximately 20 km west of Tehran. Around 264 inmates are held in ward 10 of this prison, of which 86 are on death row, meaning one third. In ward 3, known as the youth ward, with around 180 inmates under the age of 25, around 80 are currently on death row condemned for “retribution in kind.” A number of these individuals were arrested under the age of 18. This accumulates to nearly half of the youth ward and one-third of ward 10 are inmates on death row. In ward 3 nearly 120 of the 210 inmates are on death row. This is more than half. In ward 2, known as the Dar Al Quran ward, 120 of the 160 inmates are condemned based on “retribution” charges. Qezel Hessar Prison Unit 2 of this prison has around 1,000 death row inmates, with numerous individuals charged with murder and others for drug offenses. Urmia Central Prison Inwards 1 to 4 of this jail more than 166 individuals are currently on death row. All the while this may not be the latest numbers. Wards 1 and 2 of this prison, specified for mentally disturbed inmates, eight individuals are on death row. Ward 12 is also home to three death row inmates. The so-called youth ward houses six individuals condemned to execution. Ward 15, known as the drug offenses ward, six individuals are known to be on death row.