Germany Calls for Halt to Death Penalty in Iran

The German government's human rights commissioner condemned the execution of a defendant in Iran who committed murder at the age of 15, calling the action of the Islamic Republic an unacceptable violation of international law. According to Reuters, Barbel Kofler stated on Wednesday, January 31, in protest against the execution of Ali Kazemi that the defendant's lawyer was not even informed about the execution of his client. Ali Kazemi, who was 22 at the time of his execution, was accused of killing another young man during a group fight. His execution sparked a strong reaction from Amnesty International, which described it as 'extremely cruel.' Amnesty International emphasized that the execution of Ali Kazemi is a complete violation of children's rights, as international laws stipulate that no death penalty should be issued for defendants who committed crimes under the age of 18. Meanwhile, the German human rights commissioner has called on Tehran to halt the execution of 27-year-old Hamid Ahmadi, who is said to have committed a crime at the age of 17. Barbel Kofler noted that there are doubts about the legal proceedings in Mr. Ahmadi's case and it is unclear whether his trial was conducted according to legal standards. Hamid Ahmadi is also accused of murder. He was sentenced to death about nine years ago, and his sentence was confirmed last year. The report states that Ahmadi's execution could happen at any moment. However, the German human rights commissioner insists that 'the death penalty policy must be stopped.' In her statement, she mentioned that these executions are a direct violation of United Nations conventions on children's rights and international civil rights treaties that Iran has signed. Additionally, Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy chief, also considered Kazemi's execution contrary to Iran's international commitments and stated in a statement presented by her spokesperson that 'the European Union opposes the death penalty under any circumstances and calls for its abolition worldwide.'