[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

August 14




IRAN----execution

Execution of a Prisoner on Drug-Related Charges


A prisoner was executed at Tabriz Central Prison on drug-related charges last 
Wednesday.

According to a close source, on the morning of Wednesday, August 8, 1 prisoner 
was executed at Tabriz Central Prison. The prisoner, sentenced to death on 
drug-related charges, was identified as Eyvaz Bidast, son of Mohammad Taqi.

The prisoner was transferred to the solitary confinement from ward 9 of Tabriz 
Central Prison. He was arrested on drug-related charges 12 years ago. There is 
no information regarding the exact amount and type of the drug the defendant 
was charged with and it is not clear why his case was not subject to the new 
drug law.

This is the 3rd drug-related execution that has been reported by Iran Human 
Rights (IHR) since November 14, 2017, when the new drug law was enforced. The 
new drug law includes a mechanism that leads to a decrease in the number of 
death sentences and reduces the sentence of the death-row prisoners and those 
sentenced to life imprisonment.

Another prisoner named Rasoul Mohtashami, who was sentenced to death on murder 
charges, was transferred to the solitary confinement along with Eyvaz Bidast. 
He returned to his cell by asking the plaintiffs for time.

The execution of Eyvaz Bidast has not been announced by the state-run media so 
far.

*********************

Abolfazl Chazani's Execution Confirmed by the State-Run Media in Iran


One of the Iranian state-run media published a report about Abolfazl Chazani 
Sharahi, a juvenile offender who was arrested at the age of 15 and executed at 
Qom Central Prison, and confirmed his execution after 43 days.

Ghanoon newspaper published a report about Abolfazl Chazani Sharahi and 
confirmed his execution. IHR had previously reported the execution. Abolfazl, 
son of Asghar, was born on January 16, 1999, and was arrested and sentenced to 
death on the charge of murder on December 26, 2013.

Abolfazl was examined by a forensic physician at the request of his public 
defender on July 20, 2014. According to the report, "The defendant, 15 years 
and 5 months old, committed murder in the winter last year and he is mentally 
mature and understands the nature of his action (murder)."

According to the report, Abolfazl was nearly executed 4 times during the time 
he was in prison while he was only 15 the 1st time he went to the gallows. 
Mohammad, Abolfazl's brother, said, "He didn't know that after being 
transferred to the solitary confinement, he would be executed. He would 
fearlessly wear a smile like a child and say, "Everything's going to be fine; I 
won't be executed."

Mohammad continued, "We see the victim's father (the plaintiff) every day. He 
feels terrible because he pulled the stool away in order to do the execution. 
Pulling the stool away and hanging someone is not something you can easily 
forget... My brother was only 14."

Iran is one of the few countries that execute juvenile offenders, although, 
based on Article 91 of the new Islamic Penal Code, approved in 2013, judges can 
potentially deny issuing a death sentence for juveniles who do not understand 
the nature of their crime.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Iran has signed, clearly bans 
execution and life imprisonment of juveniles.

*********************

Iran Regime Threatens Execution for 67 Arrested on Financial Crimes Charges


The Iranian Regime has arrested 67 people and threatened them with the death 
penalty as part of a supposed campaign against financial crime, as the Iranian 
economy plummets towards bankruptcy, but many have advised that this will not 
solve the crisis as the corruption in the Regime goes right to the top.

On August 12, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said: "67 suspects 
have been arrested, some of whom were released on bail, and more than 100 
people including government employees and officials, as well as private 
employees and others have been given travel bans."

Human Rights Watch (HRW) responded to this with a statement, criticising Iran 
for its human rights abuse.

The New York-based rights watchdog said: "Executions, an inhumane and 
inherently irreversible punishment, are never the answer, and in this case can 
only distract from other causes of this economic turmoil. Today, officials 
increasingly talk about the need to combat corruption at every level. Yet to do 
so requires an independent judiciary that ensures due process rights for all 
those accused."

This announcement came just one day after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 
approved a request from the judiciary to set up special courts for financial 
crimes.

His statement, as quoted by Iranian media, advised that swift punishments 
should be imposed on those accused of economic corruption. Notably, the word 
used was accused and not convicted, which should tell you everything about the 
Iranian judicial system.

Judiciary head Sadeq Amoli Larijani had proposed previously that new Islamic 
revolutionary courts, which would be able to try all suspects including those 
affiliated with the Regime, be set up to impose maximum sentences, including 
the death penalty, on those "disrupting and corrupting the economy".

Last month, the judiciary said that they had detained 29 people for 
"disturbing" Iran's economy and its "money and currency systems."

Since December, Iran has faced widespread protests against the failing economy 
and massive governmental corruption, with protesters loudly calling for the 
Regime to go. These protests were reinvigorated after the US reintroduced 
sanctions against the Regime last week, following the US withdrawal from the 
nuclear deal in May. That deal lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for 
supposed restrictions on its nuclear programme, which Donald Trump has said 
were ineffective.

The Iranian Regime, reluctant to admit its own faults, have blamed the US for 
tanking its economy, despite the fact that the financial situation in Iran was 
dire for a long time before sanctions were reintroduced. The reason that Iran 
is in such dire straits is that the mullahs spent billions of dollars 
supporting terrorist groups, instigating war, and funding their extravagant 
lifestyles.

(source for all: Iran Human Rights)