Amnesty International: Milad Azimi at Risk of Execution

Amnesty International has warned about the potential execution of Milad Azimi in Iran. The human rights organization states that Milad Azimi was arrested for the murder of a man at the age of 17, was forced to confess under pressure, and that his trial was not fair. In a statement released on Wednesday, November 6, it mentions that the judicial process and trial of Milad Azimi in Iranian courts were 'unfair' and 'based on confessions obtained under torture.' This international human rights organization notes that Milad Azimi was sentenced to 'qisas' (retribution) by the third branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Kermanshah Province for the murder of a man with a knife during a collective brawl in 2013. Amnesty International emphasizes that the court also acknowledged that Milad Azimi was under 18 years old at the time of the brawl. While Amnesty International has expressed concern about the risk of executing Milad Azimi, it is noteworthy that on October 13, the execution of two individuals who were under 18 at the time of their crime was carried out. The executions of Fatemeh Salabahi and Samad Zahabi, who were under 18 at the time of their offenses, have drawn international criticism. Fatemeh Salabahi, who was arrested in 2009 at the age of 17 for the murder of her husband, was executed after serving six years in prison at Adelabad Prison in Shiraz. Samad Zahabi was also hanged for the murder of a shepherd at the age of 17 in Kermanshah. The European Union, human rights organizations, and the UN Secretary-General condemned the executions of these two individuals. Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, stated that the execution of these two defendants indicates a worrying trend in Iran. He noted that at least 700 death sentences have been carried out in Iran just this year. Ahmad Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, has expressed concern over the rising trend of executions in Iran, stating that the death penalty has led to 'increased brutality' in society and has not been effective in deterring crimes. Ahmad Shaheed's report indicates that the number of executions in Iran remains higher than in any other country in the world and has exceptionally increased since 2005, peaking in 2014 with 753 executions. In this context, the UN Secretary-General condemned the executions of Fatemeh Salabahi and Samad Zahabi, and Ahmad Shaheed warned of a 25% increase in executions in Iran.