UN Experts: Ramin Hossein Panahi's Death Sentence Should Be Revoked

UN special experts have once again requested the Islamic Republic to revoke the death sentence of Ramin Hossein Panahi, a Kurdish activist, which is reportedly set to be carried out at the end of Ramadan. Ramin Hossein Panahi was arrested last July on charges of membership in the 'Komala Party' and 'Baghi' or armed rebellion against the Islamic government, and was sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj. Following the rejection of his appeal by the Supreme Court on May 3, his sentence has been sent to the execution office. On Monday, June 18, UN human rights experts called for a halt to Hossein Panahi's execution and urged Iranian judicial authorities to revoke his death sentence altogether. This recent request from the UN comes after last month's report by the UN Special Rapporteur on arbitrary executions, which stated that Hossein Panahi had been subjected to 'ill-treatment and torture' during his detention. Hossein Panahi himself had previously told the judge that he had been tortured in prison and mistreated, and that he did not fire a weapon during the conflict. According to UN experts, this case involves 'legal violations' such as 'torture', isolation, and denial of access to a lawyer and medical care. They stated that Mr. Panahi's sentence lacks 'international standards', which stipulate that the death penalty should only be limited to cases of intentional murder. Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on unlawful executions, also expressed regret last month over the rejection of Ramin Hossein Panahi's appeal, the Iranian authorities' refusal to hold a fair trial for him, and Iran's intention to execute him. Although Amnesty International had previously reported that Hossein Panahi, along with three other Komala members, was arrested after being wounded during an 'exchange of fire' with the Revolutionary Guards, his defense attorney has denied this. Hossein Ahmadinejad stated in an interview with Radio Farda that his client did not take up 'arms' and was merely a member of the Komala Party, and for this reason, he is 'innocent'. Ramin Hossein Panahi's family also reacted to the Kurdistan judiciary's announcement, which claimed he was 'armed with a Kalashnikov, a handgun, and a grenade' at the time of his arrest and had 'confessed to fighting with the agents', describing the allegations against him as 'false'. The Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, reported that this Kurdish activist was arrested during 'clashes with military forces' and that three individuals accompanying him were killed. Meanwhile, Amjad Hossein Panahi, Ramin's brother, introduced him as 'a political and civil activist' and called for a public trial for him. Last week, 40 Iranian lawyers also sent a letter to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic requesting a halt to Ramin Hossein Panahi's death sentence.