Ahmad Shaheed's Request to Iran to Halt the Execution of 12 Prisoners

Ahmad Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, has urged the Iranian government to immediately stop the execution of 12 prisoners accused of drug trafficking. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported on Friday that these prisoners are scheduled to be executed early Saturday morning. According to the UN website, Ahmad Shaheed stated in this report that it is very regrettable that the Iranian government continues to execute individuals for crimes that are not considered 'serious crimes' under international covenants. The report adds that one of those scheduled for execution is Alireza Madadpour, who was arrested in 2011. According to the report, Alireza Madadpour was working as a cleaner in a house that was raided by police, where 990 grams of 'shishe' (a form of methamphetamine) were discovered. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasized that Alireza Madadpour was not even able to consult or meet with his assigned lawyer, and his court session lasted only 20 minutes. The report further states that Alireza Madadpour had requested clemency and a retrial, but this request was denied. Ahmad Shaheed also noted that it is truly concerning that Iranian courts continue to issue death sentences, while the issuance of these sentences does not comply with international standards for fair trials or even with domestic laws that guarantee fair proceedings. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report specified that Alireza Madadpour, along with eleven other prisoners, has been transferred to solitary confinement in Karaj for the execution of their sentences. In April of this year, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights had issued a statement urging Iran to refrain from executing these convicts until the Iranian Parliament makes a decision regarding laws related to the punishment of drug traffickers. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein stated that given that it is widely accepted in Iran that executing drug traffickers does not impact the reduction of drug-related crimes, he urges Iran to take an important step in this regard and temporarily halt the executions of these convicts. The UN reports that at least 966 people were executed in Iran in 2015, marking an unprecedented number of executions in a single year over the past two decades in the country. In this context, the UN described the execution of 20 prisoners in Iran as a 'great injustice'. Three days after denial, the news of the executions in Urmia was confirmed.