Iran Human Rights Organization: Sentence of Amputation of a Prisoner's Fingers for 'Stealing Five Sheep' Executed

The Iran Human Rights Organization reports that the sentence of amputation of a prisoner's fingers in Qom Central Prison has been executed for the charge of 'stealing five sheep.' This organization announced on Thursday, February 8, that according to 'new information' it has obtained, the sentence of amputation of four fingers of 'Yousef T., 35 years old' was executed on July 17 of this year. The Iran Human Rights Organization, citing an 'informed source,' stated that Yousef was working on building a room at a farm owned by a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and 'insisted on his innocence throughout the 13 months he was in prison, denying the theft charge.' The Iran Human Rights Organization condemned 'this brutal punishment' and called for international pressure to abolish medieval punishments from Iran's laws. Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, the director of this organization, stated: 'The amputation of a man's fingers for the theft of a few sheep by a corrupt regime whose officials outdo each other in stealing and embezzling billions shows the peak of cruelty and immorality of this regime.' The spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office had warned in July 2022 about the imminent execution of the amputation sentences for eight people in Iran. Ravina Shamdasani stated in a statement: 'We urge Iran to review its criminal penalties to eliminate corporal punishments, including amputations, floggings, and stoning, in line with its commitments under international human rights law and according to the recommendations of UN human rights mechanisms.' The statement further noted that Iranian civil society organizations report that at least 237 people, mainly from poorer segments of society, were sentenced to amputation between January 1, 2000, and September 24, 2020, with at least 129 of these sentences executed. According to the UN Human Rights Office, Iran is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishments under Article 7. The office further reminded that the UN Human Rights Committee, which oversees the implementation of the covenant, has explicitly stated that the prohibition of torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment includes all forms of corporal punishment.