Amnesty International Calls for Halt to Alireza Tajiki's Death Sentence

On Thursday, May 13, Amnesty International issued a statement urging Iranian authorities to immediately revoke the death sentence of Alireza Tajiki, a 19-year-old. The statement indicates that Alireza Tajiki has been charged with 'murder and violent sodomy' and was only 15 years old at the time of the alleged crime. According to Amnesty International, this citizen from Fars province was tortured during his detention, and his trial process has been described as 'unfair.' Amnesty International states that in April 2013, he was convicted of murder and rape by the Fars Criminal Court based on 'confessions' obtained under torture, which he repeatedly denied during the trial. His execution is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 15, in Adelabad prison in Fars province. James Lee, a Middle East official at Amnesty International, stated, 'Executing someone who was a child at the time of the crime is a clear violation of international human rights laws that prohibit the death penalty for individuals under the age of eighteen at the time of the crime.' According to Mr. Lee, 'In this case, fair trial standards have not been observed, and the court relied on evidence obtained through torture.' He described the Iranian authorities' insistence on carrying out this sentence as 'truly shocking.' James Lee also mentioned, 'Iran's bloody history of executing juvenile offenders based on unfair court rulings mocks the principles of fair judicial proceedings regarding minors and is a blatant violation of Iran's commitment to the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.' He called on responsible institutions in Iran to immediately halt Alireza Tajiki's execution and grant him the right to a fair retrial that does not involve illegal confessions and the death penalty.