More Than 100 Teens Have Been Sentenced To Die In Iran

The country executed 73 young offenders between 2005 and 2015, a new report has found.

This article was posted on Huffington Post  01/27/2016 06:16 pm ET 

Iranians watch the hanging of a convicted man in 2011. Iran has executed at least 73 young offenders in the past decade, a new report has found.

At least 160 young Iranians are currently awaiting execution and 73 others have been put to death between 2005 and 2015, a chilling new report from Amnesty International says. 

As the world's leading executioner of offenders under 18 and one of the world's largest users of the death penalty overall, Iran had nearly 700 people executed in the first half of 2015 alone.

“THE SMILING FACE OF THE MULLAHS”: HOC report on the Death Penalty in Iran

“The Smiling Face of the Mullahs”

Tuesday, 26 January 2016 15:46

In view of the visit to Italy by President Hassan Rouhani, scheduled for the 25th and 26th of January, Hands Off Cain presented the Report on the Death Penalty in Iran entitled “The Smiling Face of the Mullahs”.

The Report lists the executions carried out in Iran in 2015 and in first two weeks of 2016 and provides a comprehensive view of capital punishment under Hassan Rouhani's Presidency.

Iran regime: The world’s last executioners of minors, reported Amnesty International

 Tuesday, 26 January 2016 15:19

Iran under the rule of the clerical regime is one of the leading executioners of juvenile offenders, Amnesty International said Monday.

In a new report, Amnesty International said that it had documented the execution of at least 73 juveniles in Iran from 2005 to 2015 and that 160 juvenile offenders are languishing on the country’s death row.

Iran: petrochemical workers rally outside parliament in Tehran

Around 200 workers of the Mahshahr and Asluie petrochemical companies held a protest rally outside Iran’s parliament from 8 am on Tuesday, January 26^th, reports from Tehran indicate.

The protesters were demanding follow ups for their living conditions, especially the fact that many such workers are being laid off in large numbers and their salaries are never paid on schedule. A placard seen in this rally wrote, “Yes to privatization, No to violating the rights of official workers.” 

Youths in northern Iran condemn Rouhani’s France visit

Youths in Shahroud

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is France at a time when the Iranian people are living in the worst economic conditions. All the country’s budget is allocated to the wars in Syria and Yemen, or found in the billions extorted by senior officials. Therefore, any excuse under the pretext of expanding economic relations with Europe to improve the economy in Iran is nothing but a mirage. Without a doubt every single dollar rendered from these deals will only fill the mullahs’ own pockets, while the Iranian people’s pockets are being emptied day by day…

Iran Freedom Strugglers Association condemns Rouhani being welcomed in France

Iran Freedom Strugglers Association

The Iran Freedom Strugglers Association wrote in its statement:

We in the Iran Freedom Strugglers Association condemn the fact that Mullah Rouhani is welcomed in France. He is a criminal and must be placed on trial before an international tribunal, and not be welcomed by other countries.

While Mullah Rouhani portrays himself as a moderate outside of Iran, Western government must know that for 25 years he was Secretary of the Khomeini regime’s Security Council and involved in repression against the Iranian people.

During his tenure of the past 2½ years he has been the record-holder of executions with more than 2,000 people being sent to the gallows, while thousands are on death row in Iran.

A president who under his watch has turned our country into the largest prison for journalists, enforced crackdown measures against its main opposition inside the country and abroad, and dispatched the Revolutionary Guards to massacre and oppress the Syrian people.

Welcoming Hassan Rouhani in countries who view themselves as the cradles of democracy, human rights and freedoms is unacceptable for us in the Iran Freedom Strugglers Association and we condemn this measure.

They should know that the Iranian people will never forget those who placed their hands in the hands of murderers of the Iranian people.

Iran Freedom Strugglers Association

Two youths executed in central Iran after being arrested at age of 13

Two Baluchi minorities by the names of Khaled Kurdi and Moslem Abarian, arrested in their juvenile years, were executed in Yazd Central Prison in central Iran. They were both hanged on Monday, January 25 on drug-related charges after enduring 7 years behind bars.

Iran Still a Leading Executioner of Minors, Report Says

By RICK GLADSTONEJAN. 25, 2016 – New York Times

Iran is one of the leading executioners of juvenile offenders, despite its improved legal protections for children and a pledge more than two decades ago to end the death penalty for convicts younger than 18, Amnesty International said Monday.

In a new report, Amnesty International said that it had documented the execution of at least 73 juveniles in Iran from 2005 to 2015 and that 160 juvenile offenders are languishing on the country’s death row.

Iran human rights abuses of women, children worsen amid Obama nuclear talks

according to Amnesty International, making the Islamic republic the world’s second most prolific practitioner of capital punishment. Women and children in Iran also struggle under harsh, discriminatory laws 

By Kellan Howell - The Washington Times - Sunday, June 28, 2015

As the U.S. and its world partners race to reach a nuclear deal with Iran, women and children in the Islamic republic struggle under harsh, discriminatory laws despite numerous calls for reform from human rights groups and the international community.

Last year, several women in the Iranian city of Isfahan were severely burned in acid attacks. The women were rumored to have been targeted for not being properly veiled.

Iran: dozens of juvenile offenders on death row - new report

Juvenile offenders spend an average of seven years on death row awaiting their execution © Kianoush Ramezani, www.kianoush.fr

Girls as young as nine and boys as young as 15 to be sentenced to death in Iran 

Dozens of juvenile offenders are languishing on death row in Iran, said Amnesty International in a damning new report today (26 January), despite Iran’s claims to have “reformed” the way it deals with alleged capital crimes by under-18s.

The 110-page report, Growing up on death row: The death penalty and juvenile offenders in Iran, gives the names and locations of 49 juvenile offenders currently facing execution, while UN figures indicate that at least 160 may be on death row (Amnesty believes the true number is likely to be higher still, as information about the use of the death penalty in Iran is often shrouded in secrecy). 

The execution of juvenile offenders - those convicted of offences which took place when the defendant was below the age of 18 - is banned under international law. Despite this, and despite Iran having ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child decades ago, Amnesty's report shows that Iran has put to death 73 juvenile offenders during 2005-2015. 

Amnesty’s report shows that young people condemned to death in Iran spend an average of seven years on death row before being taken out of their cells to be hanged, though in some cases juvenile offenders have spent over a decade on death row. In a number of cases the authorities have scheduled the executions of juvenile offenders and then postponed them at the last minute, adding to the severe anguish of being on death row. Amnesty considers such treatment to be cruel, inhuman and degrading.

Following sustained criticism of its damning record on executing juvenile offenders, the Iranian authorities made changes to the country’s 2013 Islamic Penal Code allowing judges to replace the death penalty with an alternative punishment based on a discretionary assessment of a juvenile offender’s mental growth and maturity at the time of the crime. In 2014, Iran’s Supreme Court also said that all juvenile offenders on death row could apply for retrial.

In practice, however, the changes have had little impact. For example, on 13 October Fatemeh Salbehi was hanged for the murder of her husband who she’d been forced to marry at the age of 16 and from whom she had reportedly suffered domestic abuse. She was aged 17 at the time of the killing. She was re-sentenced to death after a retrial session lasting only a few hours in which the psychological assessment was limited to a few basic questions such as whether or not she prayed or studied religious textbooks. Meanwhile, in five other cases - Hamid Ahmadi, Amir Amrollahi, Siavash Mahmoudi, Sajad Sanjari and Salar Shadizadi – juvenile offenders were re-sentenced to death after courts presiding over their retrials concluded that they understood the nature of the crime and were not insane. In some cases juvenile offenders have not even been informed of their right to apply for a retrial.

Amnesty International Middle East Deputy Director Said Boumedouha said:

“The report sheds light on Iran’s shameful disregard for the rights of children. Iran is one of the few countries that continues to execute juvenile offenders in blatant violation of the absolute legal prohibition on the use of the death penalty against people under the age of 18 years at the time of the crime.

“The report paints a deeply distressing picture of juvenile offenders languishing on death row, robbed of valuable years of their lives - often after being sentenced to death following unfair trials, including those based on forced confessions extracted through torture and other ill-treatment.

“Despite some juvenile justice reforms, Iran continues to lag behind the rest of the world, maintaining laws that permit girls as young as nine and boys as young as 15 to be sentenced to death.

“Instead of introducing half-hearted reforms that fall woefully short, Iran’s authorities must accept that what they really need to do is commute the death sentences of all juvenile offenders, and end the use of the death penalty against juvenile offenders in Iran once and for all.”

Iran the second-biggest user of capital punishment in the world

Last year there was a disturbing escalation in the use of the death penalty in Iran, with at least 830 people executed between 1 January and 1 November 2015. There were reports that at least four of these were juvenile offenders. Meanwhile, in 2014 Iran is believed to have carried out the highest number of executions anywhere in the world except for China. The Iranian authorities or state-controlled or state-sanctioned media officially announced 289 executions (278 men and 11 women), though reliable sources reported at least 454 more executions in addition to those officially announced, bringing the total number of executions in 2014 to at least 743. Of those officially announced, 122 involved individuals convicted of drug-related offences and 29 were carried out in public. The vast majority of executions in Iran are for crimes such as drug-related offences where international law clearly prohibits the death penalty as the offences are not “the most serious crimes”. 

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Growing up on death row: The death penalty and juvenile offenders in Iran

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Iran: Angry demonstrators smash security forces’ car

Tehran –Sunday January 24

 In Neamat Abad area, young protesters  who were wearing masks suddenly attacked two nearby parked suppressive forces cars. They smashed windows, the equipment inside the cars, and ripped off their tires.

Terrified by the number of youths, the security forces fled the area and came back when the youth had left.

Iran: Angry workers set fire on ‘Sadaf’ kitchen

Saturday January 23 - Workers at Biroonbar restaurant in Assalooye set fire at the huge Sadaf kitchen when their protests and demands for three months unpaid salaries were turned down. Sadaf kitchen provides food for a number of Assalooye’s petrochemical companies.

Many factories in Assalooye belong to the IRGC, Khamenei’s suppressive force.

Iran: Workers win their protest in Assalooye

Workers of Rahab Gostar Company in Assalooye industrial city, in the south western province of Khuzestan, protested not having a decent contract with the company.

Workers blocked all the gates not to let the management leave. After three hours, the manager surrendered to their demands. He also promised to pay the past two months salaries.

Iran: Workers demand their unpaid salary

Kashan – Central Iran – Laid off workers at Polyester Factory gathered in protest, outside the factory, on Sunday 24 January. They demanded their 6 months unpaid salary.

Security forces attacked and dispersed workers to let the factory owner, who was affiliated with the government, get away.

Iran: Khamenei reaffirms his support for hostage taking of American seamen

Hostage taking by IRGC in Iran 

Sunday, Jan. 24 – in his visit with some of the IRGC (Revolutionary Guards) commanders ,Khamenei tribute  to the  recent hostage taking  of US Navy personnel in Persian Gulf and said, “Your move was  brilliant, most remarkable and on time”.

Khamenei added,” It was god who dragged the Americans into our waters to be detained, with their hands on their heads, by your on time move”.

Following threatening comments by US Navy, Iranian regime released the American seamen in less than 24 hours.

Iran: Most of candidates from Rouhani faction were rejected

Tehran – Iranian regime president has criticized moves by a powerful committee to exclude thousands of candidates, mostly from the rival faction, from next month’s parliamentary election

AFP reported, “Voters’ apathy has dominated Iranian people since the 2009 elections where millions of people came to the streets condemning the sham elections. Many people, including the young female Art student Neda Aqha Soltan, were killed, and thousands were arrested, some tortured to death and many still behind bars.

Iran: Audiences throw stones at a regime’s candida

 Andimeshk, province of Khuzestan (near the Iraqi border) – Saturday, Jan. 23–Infuriated people attacked a government agent with stones while he was speaking in an election campaign.

The speaker, Fereidoon Hassanvand, former governor of Booshehr County, has already come out of fake elections three times for this region.

Pro Khamenei parliamentarians: “Rouhani is trying to merge the executive and lawmaker branches of the government.”

More than 20 pro Khamenei members of Iran’s parliament,  in a letter to the “ Council of Guardians“ on Sunday January 24, attacked Rouhani’s   recent comments  about the upcoming elections.  They have stated that Rouhani, as the head of government, should be impartial in the elections. They further worried that Rouhani is trying to merge the executive and lawmaker branches of the government.

Deadly clashes reported in southeastern Iran

 two people were killed in this attack

Members of the Iranian regime’s repressive police attacked a house on the night of Saturday, January 23^rd in the city of Iranshahr located in southeastern Iran, leaving a number of people killed and injured, reports indicate. Repressive police entered the house under the pretext of being suspicious of narcotics in the area. Latest news reports indicate two people were killed in this attack. A few members of the regime’s repressive forces were also killed, according to a hospital report, while only two names have been officially announced.

On Friday, January 22^nd this city was witness to clashes from 6 to 9 pm. Houses around the area of the clash site were surrounded by the regime’s repressive police. Sounds of rocket propelled grenade fire were also heard. Early reports indicate two people were arrested and rumors say up to 10 members of the regime’s forces have been killed.

Iran: people resort to any excuse to stand firm against state repressive forces

repressive state police agents

A number of repressive state police agents entered a sports club in Tehran at 10 am Sunday, January 24^th, closing the facility under bogus pretexts. This led to a scuffle between club members and state agents.

After entering the club the state agents began censuring the owners for ridiculous reasons, including the music being played must not be Iranian (!), the athlete’s clothing and other issues, according to eyewitnesses.

Finally, they closed down the sports club and insulted two of the athletes inside the facility. Youths protests such repressive measures and this led to physical scuffles with the state agents. Terrified of such a reaction from the people the agents decided to flee the scene and would not dare take any further measures.

Iran: political prisoner Seyed Hossein Kazemeini Borujerdi in critical conditions

Hossein Kazemeini Borujerdi in Evin Prison

Political prisoner Seyed Hossein Kazemeini Borujerdi was transferred to Evin Prison’s clinic on Tuesday, January 19^th while suffering from serious intestinal illnesses resulting from a probable virus or infection. However, prison authorities had him returned to his cell without prescribing any medication or adequate medical care due to the fact that this prisoner is banned from any such services. Borujerdi’s condition had deteriorated to a point where the next day, Wednesday, January 20^th he became dizzy near the stairs and collapsed, leaving his back and leg seriously injured.

Despite his ordeal the regime’s judiciary and intelligence apparatus are refusing to provide any care or allow him to be hospitalized in a decent facility outside of prison.

Iran: Neda Agha Sultan’s birthday marked at her grave in Tehran

Neda Agha Sultan

A ceremony was held on Saturday, January 23^rd, marking the birthday of Neda Agha Sultan, a symbol of Iran’s 2009 uprising. Her family, friends and a group of Iranians had gathered for this ceremony in section 257 of Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery.

Neda was gunned down and killed by Iranian regime state agents, becoming a symbol of the Iranian people’s innocence in the face of the regime’s cruelty and crackdown.

Neda’s family and friends commemorated her memory and placed flowers on her grave.

Iran: Five separate protest gatherings in one day in the cities of Sannadaj

workers demanded their unpaid salaries

 There were five protests in the cities of Sannadaj and Kermanshah- west of Iran on Saturday January 23^rd.  Demonstrators  demanded their unpaid salaries.

They included workers of Quods hospital, workers of section one Municipality, and some of the workers of Electric Company, all in Sannadaj.

In Kermanshah employees of the local registrar office and some of the employees of the Gas Company set up protest gatherings. All demonstrators demanded their unpaid salaries.

workers demanded their unpaid salaries

Iran: A call to boycott regime’s “elections”

Shareholders who have lost all their assets protest outside government Shandiz Society

Saturday Jan. 23- Mashhad, North East of Iran – Share holders, in government owned Shandiz financial society, who have lost their assets to government officials’ frauds, started a campaign asking people not to participate in the upcoming elections.

Textile factory workers protest their unpaid salaries

How long hollow promises… 

Saturday Jan. 23 - Workers in Mazandaran Textile factory gathered outside the local governor’s office in Qaem Shahr, north of Iran.

They protested their a few months’ unpaid salaries.

Iran: State factions buying people’s votes in northwest Iran city

I don’t trade my vote

Reports received from the city of Ardebil in northwest Iran indicate various regime factions have started purchasing people’s votes and begun their cheating for the upcoming elections.

Each year various regime factions resort to such measures in factories or workshops, the reports add. In one case 7 years ago a factory manager demanded all his workers to hand over their ID cards. The workers resisted and did not comply despite being threatened of losing their jobs. 

Iran: college students clash with state agents in Tehran

At 11 am on Thursday, January 21^st a number of college students in Tehran’s Sadeghiye neighborhood who gathered and held a session in the park were attacked by state agents. Holding a co-ed gathering was the pretext resorted to by the state agents to stage their attack. However, the college students resisted and clashed with the agents. 

Tehran – stockholder sheds light on Rouhani government’s measures

On Saturday, January 23^rd, one of the stockholders who has lost his assets to the Padideh Shandiz firm in Iran shed light on measures taken by Hassan Rouhani’s government.

“To this day they have done nothing to resolve the Padideh firm’s problems, and they are intending to mislead and silence the people through a number of deceitful measures and pledges before the elections,” he said.

“To this day after the 1979 revolution, Rouhani’s government has lied the most and with the slogan of ‘management’ they came to power to only support those in power, those who are stealing people’s wealth and those who are economically corrupt. This government itself is the element behind economic problems, blocking the people’s very small assets. One example is the Padideh firm. They lie and only provide pledges, yet do nothing effective,” he continued.

Iran: Mashhad stockholders hold protest rally

Only three days is left to the deadline to resolve the problems

Don’t take advantage of the stockholders’ 13 months of silence

Deposit holders in the Padideh Shandiz firm of Mashhad, northeastern Iran, posted two tracts reminding Hassan Rouhnai’s government of its commitments, and emphasizing their perseverance to have their demands realized.

“Don’t take advantage of the stockholders’ 13 months of silence. Don’t think we will remain silent. Only three days is left to the deadline to resolve the problems of the Padide firm. Take this reminder seriously as January 27^th is our red line,” they wrote.

Tehran: stockholders call for elections boycott

Stockholders and those who have lost their assets and property to the Padideh Shandiz firm in Iran published a protest campaign letter calling on people to boycott the regime’s upcoming elections. This measure is in protest to their losses and the fact that Hassan Rouhani’s government has not provided any answers.

These protesters described Rouhani’s government as a liar, deceitful and corrupt, caring less about people who have lost their assets. They accuse the Rouhani government of seeking to deceive and temporary silence the protesters for the sake of the elections.

Iran: protests, strikes in Tehran

Bazar merchants in southern Tehran and storeowners of Toopkhane Square in the Iranian capital closed their stores for one hour on Saturday, January 23^rd at 9:30 am. These storeowners were protesting extortion by the Iran Tax Organization and its inspectors.

Extortion and demanding unsubstantiated taxes is one of the inhumane and illegal methods used by Hassan Rouhani’s regime to provide for their expenses.