Stop Child Executions

New work by : arshannn - sarbazan vatan

بچه های ایرانی




View Current Signatures - Sign the Petition
Please note Mohammad Mousavi (#13 on petition) was executed on April 22, 2007. Also Saeed Kamberzaii (17) was executed on May 28, 2007. Since the start of petition , Stop Child Executions Campaign has recorded more children facing executions in Iran.

For an updated list (currently 74 ) please visit: http://www.stopchildexecutions.com/the_row.aspx or http://scenews.blog.com/1931411/

To: Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and Head of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi

PERSIAN TRANSLATION: www.stopchildexecutions.com MORE INFORMATION: http://www.stopchildexecutions.com/

We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned about the continuous practice of capital punishment for alleged offences committed by Iranian youth under the age of 18. Article 6.5 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) declares: “Sentence of death shall not be imposed for crimes committed by persons below eighteen years of age”. Article 37(a) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) provides that: “Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below eighteen years of age”. As a signatory state, the Iranian government is under international obligation to comply with both articles. However, Amnesty International has documented 21 executions of child offenders in Iran since 1990. In many cases, these minors have been imprisoned until the age of 18 and then executed. In January 2005, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which monitors states' compliance with the CRC, urged Iran to immediately stay all executions of child offenders and to abolish the use of the death penalty in such cases. In the summer of 2006, the Iranian Parliament reportedly passed a bill establishing special courts for children and adolescents. However, it has not yet been approved by the Council of Guardians, which supervises Iran's legislation to ensure conformity with Islamic principles. During the past four years, the Iranian authorities have reportedly been considering legislation to ban the death penalty for child offenders. Recent comments by a judiciary spokesperson indicates that the proposed law would only prohibit the death penalty for certain crimes, and not all crimes committed by children. In spite of these efforts, the number of child offenders executed in Iran has risen during the past two years. As of March 2007 at least 25 child offenders remain on death row in Iran.

Their names and ages (where known) at the times of their alleged crimes are as follows: 1. Delara Darabi, 17 2. Beniamin Rasouli, 17 3. Hossein Toranj, 17 4. Hossein Haghi, 17 5. Morteza Feizi, 16 6. Sa'eed Jazee, 17 7. Ali Mahin Torabi, 16 8. Milad Bakhtiari, 16 9. Farshad Sa'eedi, 17 10. Hossein Gharabaghloo, 16 11. Shahram Pourmansouri, 17 12. Hedayat Niroumand, 15 13. Mohammad Mousavi, 14. Mostafa, 16 15. Mahmoud, 17 16. Hamid, 17 17. Sajjad, 17 18. Farzad, 15 19. Asghar, 16 20. Iman, 17 21. Ne'mat, 15 22. Hamzeh S, 17 23. Saber 24. Reza Alinejad 17 25. Sina Paymand 17 We the undersigned, call on the Iranian authorities to: - Provide a complete list of all individuals under the age of 18 who are sentenced to death. - Immediately halt executions and prevent any further application of such penalties against child offenders. - Take immediate measures to permanently abolish the death penalty for all child offenders in accordance with Iran's obligations as a state party to the ICCPR and the CRC. We the undersigned, urge The United Nations, The United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights and The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to: - Demand that the Iranian government immediately comply with its international obligations as defined by ICCPR and CRC.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned - View Current Signatures

Support Iran's Jailed and Tortured Students!
February 06, 2008 marxist.com Militaant

Behind a cynical and bogus campaign for ‘national unity’ in the face of pressure from the United Sates, the Iranian regime has raised the level of repression against many sections of society. Whether it is the bus drivers, teachers, sugar mill workers, labour activists, women, journalists, or anyone who voices the slightest criticism against the policies of the most rotten and reactionary dictatorship of the twenty-first century, they are subjected to the most brutal and vicious forms of physical and psychological torture in its jails.During the past few months the most consistent resistance to this regime has come from various student groups. The regime’s attacks against this movement have resulted in at least one death in custody, at least three confirmed cases of severe physical torture, and general abuse and lack of contact with families.The main event that triggered such a response from the regime was a gathering at Tehran University on 4 December in commemoration of Students’ Day. Around 500 students and left-wing activists took part in the event. Initially 26 people, mainly from Tehran University’s Radical Left group, were arrested but since then over a dozen other students from various universities have been arrested. Although a few have now been released on bail the majority remain in prison and their incarceration is dampening the morale of all movements in society.To show solidarity with the imprisoned students a number of Iranian opposition groups are organising pickets outside the Iranian regime’s diplomatic missions on Saturday 16 February 2008, from 12-2pm. We urge all student activists, trade unionists, socialists and defenders of human rights to support this united move of the opposition in highlighting the plight of the students still in jail.A victory for the students can open the way for more victories by workers, women and other oppressed and exploited sections of society. Join us on 16 February in support of the students. For more information on the picket in your city, or on how you can become involved, contact militantmag@gmail.com or check our English language blog.On 16 February our main slogan will be: Free all jailed students now!
Iranian regime tortures arrested students! by Militaant (January 31, 2008)
Iran: Mahmoud Salehi rushed to hospital by Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network (December 18, 2007)
Students threatened with arrest if they go near Tehran University! by "Against the status quo" blog (December 5, 2007)
Five hundred students and left-wing activists commemorate Students’ Day at Tehran University by "Against the status quo" blog (December 4, 2007)