Amnesty International: Another Execution of a Minor in Iran, Ignoring Global Covenants

Amnesty International reports that a minor accused of a crime was recently executed in Arak prison. The organization severely criticizes the continued executions of minors, stating that the 'disturbing eagerness' of Iranian judicial authorities for such actions demonstrates their ongoing disregard for international laws. On August 12, the organization announced that for the first time this year, a 19-year-old named Hassan Afshar, who was accused of 'violent sodomy' with another teenage boy last year, was executed on July 18 in Arak prison. In Iranian law, 'zina' (adultery) and 'lavat' (sodomy) with the qualifier 'violent' pertain to sexual assault. However, under the new Islamic Penal Code (approved in 2013: Book One, Chapter Eleven, Section Five), the punishment for someone accused of 'zina' or 'lavat' 'by violence', 'in case of repentance', can be converted to imprisonment or flogging. Issuing a death sentence for sexual assault accusations has precedent in Iran. Amnesty International states that the execution of this 19-year-old occurred while the office of the Iranian judiciary's chief had promised that his case would be reviewed on September 15. The human rights organization claims that Hassan Afshar was 17 years old at the time of his arrest and accusation, and he was a high school student: 'He had no access to a lawyer, and the judicial authorities rushed the case, condemning him to death just two months after his arrest.' According to Amnesty International, officials did not inform this teenager about his death sentence for seven months while he was in prison 'because they did not want him to become distressed or anxious.' The organization asserts that with the execution of Hassan Afshar, Iranian judicial authorities have once again shown their 'callous disregard' for international demands. The Iranian judiciary has yet to respond to this report and the allegations made. This year, another young man, Mohammad Reza Hadadi, who was also sentenced to death as a minor, is awaiting execution, although its implementation has been postponed several times. Alireza Tajiki is another minor awaiting imminent execution. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on the Rights of the Child, which Iran has signed, as well as UN standards regarding minors, prohibit the execution of individuals who were under 18 at the time of the crime. The Iranian judiciary does not execute condemned minors immediately but waits until they reach 18 years of age. This practice has faced widespread international criticism, condemning the judiciary for circumventing contemporary human rights covenants and standards. Amnesty International states that at least 160 individuals who were sentenced to death as minors are being held in prisons across Iran. Iran has the second-highest number of executions in the world after China.