UN Secretary-General Condemns Execution of Fatemeh Salabahi and Samad Zahabi

Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has condemned the execution of Fatemeh Salabahi and Samad Zahabi, who were under 18 years of age at the time of their crimes. According to Reuters, the UN Secretary-General's office stated that Mr. Ban was 'deeply saddened' by the news of the execution of these two individuals in Iran. Reports indicate that Fatemeh Salabahi, who was arrested in 2009 at the age of 17 for the murder of her husband, was executed on October 13 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. UN human rights reporters say that Iranian judicial authorities did not inform Samad Zahabi's family about the execution of his sentence. The UN Secretary-General also stated that the execution of these two individuals reflects a worrying trend in Iran. According to the UN Secretary-General's office, at least 700 death sentences have been carried out in Iran just this year. Ban Ki-moon reiterated the UN's opposition to the 'death penalty' and urged Iranian authorities to halt executions in the country and ultimately abolish this punishment. Previously, UN human rights officials condemned the execution of two juvenile offenders in Iran in a statement, calling on the Iranian government to 'stop executing individuals under legal age.' Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, stated that 'these two cases are painful examples of the increasing number of executions and concerns about the lack of adherence to fair trial standards in the Islamic Republic of Iran.' Christophe Heinze, an expert on extrajudicial executions at the UN, condemned these executions as 'illegal killings by the government and equivalent to murder that any individual might commit.' He added, 'These cases are deep tragedies that diminish the value of human life and consequently the dignity of the country. Executing a juvenile offender, especially after a trial that raises many doubts about its fairness, is a clear violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and violates the Convention on the Rights of the Child.' Amnesty International stated that the execution of two individuals in Iran within a few days, who committed crimes as teenagers, demonstrates the 'horrific' nature of Iran's judicial system regarding children. The European Union also criticized the execution of Fatemeh Salabahi, deeming it, like Amnesty International, a 'violation of obligations' of the country. The European Union regarded the execution of Fatemeh Salabahi as a violation of Iran's commitments to the 'International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights' and the 'Convention on the Rights of the Child.' The European Union emphasized that it remains concerned about the high number of executions in Iran, especially for drug-related offenses, which are not classified as 'serious crimes' under current international human rights laws.