Facebook Balatarin Common proclamation of Iranian human rights institutions in the threshold of the universal day of endeavor for repealing death pe

Commitee of Human Rights Reporters - In the threshold of October 10, the universal day of endeavor for repealing capital punishment ; Iranian human rights institutions declare their explicit remonstrance with issuing and executing such a punishment. Hereby, following groups emphasize on repealing this inhuman punishment which is against humans’ initial rights; and also summon other groups and civil actors for cooperation and support. The common proclamation including statistic and analytic report will be issued in the incoming days.

Recommendations:

· Support and participate in the common proclamation of human rights institutions.

· Declare your remonstrance toward the justice officials of Iran via emails, letters or telephone.

· Demand the Implementation of "convention on the rights of a child" and "international covenant on civil and political rights" in prohibition of issuing and executing capital punishment for culprits under 18. Also mention the repugnance of such a punishment toward human beings according to distinct rules of human rights.

· Write articles about survival right and send them to us for being published.

The Judge refused to release Majid Dorri upon a bail

Committee of Human rights reporters – After spending more than two months in detention, Majid Dorri, the expellee from Allameh University, was rejected a release upon placing a bail. Despite the fact that the officer in charge had agreed on him being released upon a bail, the judge (Hasan Zare’ Dehnavi, branch 2 of security) refused to release him under this condition and asked for the continuation of his detention until the date of his court.

Majid Dorri is a member of the Council for defending the right to higher education and he was arrested for the first time on 1st Tir (June 20th) during the post-election demonstrations. After his release, he was arrested for the second time on 18th Tir (July 8th) and in his court he was faced with a new accusation: leading a group of protesters. His overall physical state seems to have been reasonable according to his family after their last visit.

Peyman Aref is prohibited from meeting

Committee of Human Rights Reporters - Peyman Aref, a student activist, during his detention, he only once succeeded to meet his family in a cabin. From last week, according to the command of the Presidency of the Evin prison, he is prohibited from meeting

Last week, "Sedaghat" the President of the Evin prison ordered to "Abbasi" the command chief of Advice Ward 8, that this student activist’s meeting with his family should be subject to the personal statement of him. After the awareness of Peyman Aref on this issue, he sent a letter of request to the prison chief; however he has been told that this letter should be delivered to the prison, by his family.

Also, within 110 days detention of this student activist, he has been denied to meet his lawyer.

According to the article 180 till 197 of the Executive regulations of the prisons and safeguarding measures adopted on 9 January 84, use of telephone in the meeting and also meeting in person and private-way are some of the immutable rights of the prisoner.

Behnoud has been executed

11 October 2009

Keywords : اطلاعيه

Iranians of the Day: Behnoud has been executed at 5 in the morning today at Tehran’s Evin Prison. According to StopChildExecutions.com Behnood had allegedly killed a boy during a street fight in Tehran when he was 17 years old. He has been in prison for the last 4 years and scheduled for execution 5 times already. All the reports had pointed to a stay of execution in his case. In his weblog, his attorney Mohammad Mostafaie wrote: "I went to the Executive office of the Tehran Criminal Court yesterday to follow up on Benood Shojai’s case. I was told by Mr. Jaberi, the clerk of the office that no date had been set for Behnood’s execution and a stay of execution is in effect. This morning I heard that Bahnood Shojai had been transferred to the isolation ward in prison. I went back to the Executive office to inquire about the case. Mr. Jaberi confirmed the execution and said that the Qisas (Islamic retaliation Law) will take place [Sunday, Oct 11]”.

Behnood Shojaei is executed in Iran on “International Day Against the Death Penalty”

Behnood Shojaei is executed in Iran on “International Day Against the Death Penalty”

October 10^th 2009

I lie awake in bed. Tossing and turning thinking of his face. I have just found out the devastating news of the loss of one of our children: Behnood Shojaei.

He is one of 160 children whose lives we have been trying to save for the past few years, but he is not a number. He was a handsome boy with dreams and aspirations. He was a boy at the wrong place at the wrong time, where a fight ensued and another boy was killed. Premeditated? No. Accident? Yes. Self-defence? Perhaps. We will never know exactly what happened that day but what we do know is that he was 17-years -old when the incident took place. He was a juvenile and under international treaties that Iran has signed, it is against international human rights law to execute ANYONE who has committed an offence before the age of 18. He was a boy who escaped the hangman’s noose five times. Each time, a piece of him died. Each time, the volunteer members of our organization Stop Child

Executions, and other human rights groups fighting for these children, felt a bolt to the heart. Our bruised hearts would heal as we would gain renewed hope that our efforts to pressure Iran had made a difference. We felt like our continuous pleas for urgent action on behalf of the United Nations, European Union, governments worldwide, human rights groups, individuals and especially the selfless and courageous lawyers representing these children, were making a difference. This time we were unsuccessful. This time with the passing of Behnoud Shojaei’s life, as the stool was kicked out from under his legs, our hopes were also asphyxiated.

I called Behnoud’s lawyer Mr. Mohammad Mostafaei who represents dozens of children on death row. The first thing I asked him was “Is it true?”. With a sad, tearful and hoarse voice he confirmed the nightmare. He said that hundreds of people came to the prison gates to pressure for a halt to the execution and to plead with the victim’s family to forgive Behnood. The victim’s mother said that she would wait until they put the rope around Behnood’s neck to decide his fate. Under Iran’s law, in murder cases called “ghesas” crimes, the family of the victim is awarded the right to decide the fate of the accused. The family is allowed to ask for a monetary compensation instead. After deliberations over years, the mother chose “death”. Mr. Mostafaei saw Behnood’s life pass before his very own eyes inside the prison walls. I was in a state of shock as he recounted his story. All I could tell him was how sorry I was and how grateful we all are for his efforts. At times like this, I feel so paralyzed the right words just don’t come out.

To Behnood’s family, to Mr. Mostafaei, to all freedom loving people who want to see an end to human rights abuses in Iran:

I vow that the battle has just begun. Every drop shed by a victim of a crime against humanity committed by the Islamic Republic of Iran will act as a drop of blood which will fuel our actions for change.

As Behnood’s wings have now grown to fly him to the heavens, we too will grow the strength to take on the larger battle of paving the way towards democracy in Iran where a proper judicial system will be in place, where the rule of law exists and where children will be playing and laughing instead of languishing behind bars and mercilessly being killed.

I make this vow. Who will join me?

I pray to God that Behnood’s soul rest in peace and I pray to God that Safar Angooti scheduled to be executed in ten days receive a stay of execution.

Love,

Nazanin

Nazanin Afshin-Jam
President and Co-Founder
Stop Child Executions

More background information on Behnood Shojaei

17-year-old Behnood Shojaee was convicted of killing a 19 year old boy named Omid during a street fight involving over a dozen boys.

Shojaee says that he tried to stop the fight and used a chard of glass from a broken soda bottle in self defence. He said he hit an attacker once only with the piece of glass. Shojaee’s lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei argues that the coroner found several wounds by various objects making it unable to assess who was responsible for the fatal blow causing death.

At first the family of the victim wanted over 2 million dollars US in “blood money” compensation. After months of negotiation, and his execution being postponed three times, the “diyeh” was reduced to approximately $625,000 USD.

Shojaee who grew up with his grandparents since the death of his mother at age 10 from diabetes and a father living with depression from his tragic loss, he could not afford the required “diyeh”.

Three of Iran’s most prominent movie directors and actors ( Entezami, Parviz Parastooyi and Kiymars PoorAhmad) opened a joint account to help raise money for his “diyeh”. In an unprecedented measure, the Iranian judiciary froze the bank account, summoned the artists and threatened that “they shall be investigated and it shall be assumed that they are not aware of the special laws that were passed in 1997 by the State Expediency Council which have strengthened the punishments against corruption, embezzlement, and misappropriation and which carry punishments ranging from one to seven years of prison”.

On May 23^rd 2008, in a joint statement, 40 European countries condemned the execution of Behnood Shojaee.

In August 2008 in a press conference in Geneva and one put on by Stop Child Executions in London, 24 human rights organizations demanded Iran to Stop the execution of Behnood Shojaee and Mohammad Fadaee as well as the 132 children on death row at the time.

Just this week the European Union sent another statement condemning Iran for juvenile executions including Behnood Shojaee’s imminent execution, other government officials and invididuals worldwide.

Young offender 'hanged in Iran'

Dozens of juvenile offenders are believed to be on death row in Iran Human rights groups say Iran has executed another juvenile offender, despite apparently saying recently that it was halting such executions. Human Rights Watch said an Afghan national, convicted of murder at the age of 17, was executed last week. The central judiciary has not confirmed the news from Isfahan. It would be the seventh such execution in 2008. Iran appeared to say it was ending the practice last month, but later said victims' families had the final say. The New York-based Human Rights Watch said the Afghan man, identified as Gholamreza H, was hanged in Isfahan province on 30 October. He was 19 when the execution was carried out, but had been convicted for a murder he committed in November 2006 as a 17-year-old. Retaliation, not execution Human Rights Watch says 26 juvenile offenders have been executed in Iran since January 2005, out of a worldwide total of 32 known executions. The execution was announced by judicial officials in Isfahan province, the group says, although at a recent news conference in Tehran, the judiciary spokesman said he was not aware of the case. The Iranian government recently announced an end to child executions, but a few days later a spokesman made it clear that did not include so called "blood money" or "Qeisas" cases, which make up the vast majority of executions. According to the Justice Ministry spokesman, these cases are not technically "execution" but "retaliation" on behalf of victims' families which is sanctioned by Islamic law and cannot be repealed.

Fears grow for Iranian detainees

Concern is growing over the fate of detained opposition protesters By Sarah Rainsford BBC News First the mass protests were suppressed by force, then came the mass arrests. Three weeks after Iran's disputed presidential election, scores - possibly hundreds - of opposition supporters and prominent reformists remain in prison. Their families have had little or no information about their fate. Most are too worried to speak to the press now. They describe a climate of terror in Tehran. But I met one woman at her university here in England who wanted to tell me what had happened to her husband. She only asked me not to use their real names. They don't let my husband call me. They don't let me know what his future will be. This is torture. Zahra Wife of detained opposition protester Ali, as I will call him, is an opposition activist who worked for the presidential candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi, at the elections. He was arrested in Tehran two weeks ago, and disappeared. "It was just a terrible moment. I could not stop crying," Zahra told me. "I just thought, why should he be in jail? What was wrong with what we did in Tehran? It was the basic right of all Iranians to take part in the election and we did the same." Solitary confinement For nine days, Zahra had no idea where he had been taken. Then he was able to make a brief call to his brother, saying only that he was in prison, in solitary confinement. He has been denied access to a lawyer and to his family. Zahra has no way of knowing how he is being treated. "They don't let my husband call me. They don't let me know what his future will be. This is torture," Zahra said, her eyes defiantly lined in green, the colour of Iran's reformist opposition. But her main concern is that Ali - and the other detainees - are being pressured into signing false confessions which could have serious consequences. There is concern about the health of detainee Saeed Hajjarian Last week, state TV broadcast what it said were the confessions of demonstrators. Their faces obscured, men and women claimed that the protests last month were part of a violent, Western-backed plot to topple Iran's government. A senior cleric has now announced that other detainees, staff at the British Embassy in Iran, have admitted they were planning a "Velvet Revolution". "Many of the detainees, especially the higher-ranking leaders of the opposition, are coming under a great deal of pressure to make false confessions which we fear may be used in show trials in the future," says Tom Porteous, London director of Human Rights Watch. "There are very long interrogation sessions. We have heard that detainees are being beaten up. There are real grounds for concern about their treatment." He calls the scale of the clampdown unprecedented. There is particular concern about the health of one detainee, Saeed Hajjarian, who has been severely disabled since an attempt on his life in 2000. Iran's chief of police announced this week that just over 1,000 people were arrested in total during the post-election unrest, but said that "most" had been released. They were creating terror in the hearts of anyone who voted for Mousavi Husband of Mousavi supporter There are no official statistics, and reports from Iran say the arrests continue. Some people, like the wife of another Iranian I spoke to here in the UK, were set free after several degrading days in custody. The man asked me not to use their names. His wife was arrested along with several friends at a silent street protest in Tehran to demand a re-run of the controversial election. Now in London, she has told her husband what happened. "They had nine to 12 people in the same cell for five days. There was no proper light, no bathroom, no proper food. "The entire thing has been humiliation: intimidating and terrifying them so when they come out they will not take part in any demonstrations," he told me, describing his wife as still traumatised by her experience. It is thought that scores of Mousavi supporters remain in jail "She told me they gave them papers to sign and they had to give a commitment they would not go to more demos. They asked everyone, who did you vote for? "They were creating terror in the hearts of anyone who voted for Mousavi," the man said. He is convinced the more prominent detainees - still in prison - will be dealt with far more harshly than his wife. "They won't be released soon. Something very bad has happened, the authorities didn't expect this. And now they're taking revenge on these people. They are going to be tough," he said. That is what Zahra is afraid of. The prosecutor in charge of investigating the unrest is a known hardliner; last week, a senior cleric called for leading protesters accused of violent protest to face the death penalty. "I hope they don't accuse people of very serious accusations and then execute them. But in such a situation anything is possible. They will do anything to keep power," Zahra told me. "The only way we have at this point is just to wait. And this wait is unbearable."