Further information on IJA: 71/08 Index: MDE 13/072/2010 Iran
Date: 05 July 2010
URGENT
ACTION
JUVENILE OFFENDER'S EXECUTION SCHEDULED
The execution of Mohammad Reza Haddadi has been scheduled again in the city of Shiraz,
southern Iran, and could take place as soon as 7 July. He is sentenced to death for a crime he
allegedly committed while under the age of 18.
On 4 July 2010, the family of Mohammad Reza Haddadi were informed by judicial officials that they should visit
their son for the last time before his execution takes place in the early hours of 7 July in Adelabad prison, Shiraz, in
southern Iran. However, by 5 July, Mohammad Reza Haddadi's lawyer had not been officially informed of any
scheduled execution and says that he was told that he would not be executed on 7 July. Nonetheless, he believes
there is a significant risk his client may be executed in the very near future. Juvenile offenders have previously been
executed without prior warning to their lawyers, though under Iranian law his lawyer should receive 48 hours' notice.
Mohammad Reza Haddadi was sentenced to death in 2004 for a murder he allegedly committed when he was 15.
He is now around 22 years old. His death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court in July 2005. He was first
scheduled for execution in October 2008, but it was stayed on the order of the Head of the Judiciary. His execution
was then scheduled again on 27 May 2009 and 16 July 2009. There were further unconfirmed reports that he
would be executed on 9 December 2009.
There is no further news of Naser Qasemi, who was also sentenced to death for a crime allegedly committed when
he was under 18. Another juvenile offender, Reza Hejazi, was hanged in Esfahan prison on 19 August 2008.
PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:
calling on the Iranian authorities to halt the execution of Mohammad Reza Haddadi immediately, and commute his
death sentence;
reminding the authorities that Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which prohibit the use of the death penalty against
people convicted of crimes committed when they were under 18.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 14 JULY, PREFERABLY BEFORE 7 JULY:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Kbamenei, The
Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street— End of
Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info_leader@leader.ir;
via website: - http://www.leader.ir/langs/
en/index.nhp?p=letter
( English);http://www.Ieader.ir/Iangs/fa/in
dex.php?p=Ietter ( Persian)
Salutation: Your Excellency
Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh
(Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of
Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: Via website:
hftø:llwww.dadiran.ir/tabid/75/Default.a
px
First starred box: first name; second
box: family name; third: email address
Salutation: Your Excellency
And copies to:
Director, Human Rights Headquarters
of Iran
Mohammad Javad Larijani
Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of
Serah-e Jomhuri
Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 3390 4986
Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (In the
subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad
Larijani)
Salutation: Dear Mr Larijani
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending
appeals after the above date. This is the ninth update of UA 71/08 (MOE 13/049/2008).
AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL
Date: 05 July 2010
URGENT ACTION
JUVENILE OFFENDER'S EXECUTION SCHEDULED
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Mohammad Reza Haddadi was sentenced to death in 2004 for a murder he allegedly committed when he was 15. He confessed
to the murder, but retracted the confession during his trial, saying he had claimed responsibility for the killing only because his
two co-defendants had offered to give his family money if he did so. During the trial he said that he had not taken part in the
murder. His co-defendants later supported Mohammad Reza Haddadi's claims of innocence, and withdrew their testimony that
had implicated him. They were both over 18 years old at the time of the crime and received prison sentences. Mohammad Reza
Haddadi's death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court in July 2005. He was first scheduled for execution in October
2008, but it was stayed on the order of the Head of the Judiciary. On 27 May 2009, the Head of the Judiciary halted the
execution of Mohammad Reza Haddadi, which was scheduled to take place that day in Adelabad prison in Shiraz. The Head of
the Judiciary ordered Branch 17 of the Supreme Court to conduct a review of the case. Although no trial sessions were held, the
execution was nevertheless scheduled again for 16 July 2009 but again not then carried out Later, unconfirmed reports
suggested that his execution had been scheduled for 9 December 2009
Since 1990, Iran has executed at least 46 people convicted of crimes committed when they were under 18 years old. Eight of
these executions were in 2008 and five in 2009. For example, Delara Darabi was executed on 1 May 2009 despite her having
been given a two-month stay of execution by the Head of the Judiciary. Neither her parents nor her lawyers were notified before
her execution, though under Iranian law her lawyer should receive 48 hours! notice. Behnoud Shojaee was executed on 11
October, for allegedly killing another youth when only 17 years old. His execution had previously been postponed six times. On
17 December 2009, Mosleh Zamani was executed. He was sentenced to death in 2006 for allegedly raping his girlfriend, a
woman several years older than him, with whom he was allegedly having a relationship, when he was 17. His death sentence was
confirmed by the Supreme Court in July 2007. He may not have had adequate legal representation. At least 135 juvenile
offenders remain on death row in Iran.
The execution of juvenile offenders is prohibited under international law, including Article 6(5) of the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to which Iran is a state party.
In Iran a person convicted of murder has no right to seek pardon or commutation from the state, in violation of Article 6(4) of the
ICCPR. The family of a murder victim have the right either to insist on execution, or to pardon the killer and receive financial
compensation (diyeh).
For more information about executions of juveniles in Iran, please see Iran: The last executioner of children (MDE 13/059/2007),
130592007 .
Further information: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDL13/O49/2OO8/en,
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/120/2008/en,
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/151/2008/en,
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/048/2009/en,
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/049/2009/en,
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/070/2009/en,
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/086/2009/en,
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/126/2009/en and
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/128/2009/en
FU on UA: 71/08 Index: MDE 13/072/2010 Issue Date: 05 July 2010
AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL
