Iran on “execution binge”: 1 execution every 8 hours

Iran Increase in Executions
On January 16, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI) reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) has executed over 97 people in the past 30 days, of whom four were prisoners of conscience. The IRI has averaged one execution every eight hours since the start of 2011. Currently, the IRI executes more people per capita than any other country in the world, and is second only to China in number of executions overall.

This past Monday (January 24, 2010), the IRI executed two post-election protestors, Mr. Jafar Kazemi and Mr. Mohammad Ali Haj Aghaee after they were “convicted” of “moharebeh” (enmity against God) – a charge that, by its terms is alleged against those who take up arms against the state. No such evidence was presented in the cases of Mr. Kazemi and Mr. Aghaee, and in the end, the evidence used against them included sending footage of election protests abroad.

translate this

As the ICHRI notes, “Moharebeh has become the Iranian Judiciary’s catch-all justification for killing political dissidents.”

Organizations and activists worldwide are urging the IRI to halt its “execution binge”, institute an immediate moratorium on executions, conduct independent reviews of pending death penalty cases, and to abolish the death penalty. Read on to learn more about how you can take action and urge the Islamic Republic of Iran to halt executions.

Take Action!

Keep Iran’s Hearts Beating – Postcard Campaign
In light of the sudden increase in executions, U4I encourages the international community to mail postcards to various world, UN, and IRI authorities urging an immediate moratorium (authorized suspension) on executions, an independent review of all pending death penalty cases, and to abolish the death sentence. Click here to download, print, and mail postcards.

Organize a Candle Light Vigil
Want to take your protest a step farther? Organize a candle light vigil to take place between February 4 – 7 condemning and demanding a halt to executions. Remember to take plenty of footage that can be widely disseminated in order to demonstrate global solidarity and the demands sought. If you organize a demonstration or vigil, consider printing and asking participants to sign and mail the postcards. Details, talking points, and posters will be available on the U4I site very soon. If you or your organization are organizing an action, let us know so we can help spread the word. Email us at [email protected].

Current Actions
Over the last few months, our collective efforts have resulted in the sending of over 140,000 e-letters to world leaders, UN officials, and IRI authorities.

Your dedicated writing and e-letters continue to highlight critical rights situations in Iran and reaffirm to world leaders over and over that the international community remains active and deeply concerned. It is an honor to collaborate with such a tireless community of activists. If you haven’t yet sent an e-letter, take a look at the active advocacy campaigns below. In 30 seconds and with just one click, you can send a message of concern to up to 30 officials.

Save Kurdish Minority, Habibollah Latifi
3,646 people have sent 82,329 messages

Free Iran’s Human Rights Defenders
1,703 people have sent 43,316 messages

Support Iran’s Students
216 people have sent 4,090 messages.

Save Canadian Resident, Saeed Malekpour
299 people have sent 4,794 messages.

Release Rozita Vasseghi, member of Iran’s Baha’i community
232 people have sent 5,070 messages.

Stop the Practice of ‘Internal Exiles’
2,728 messages sent.

Improve prison conditions and provide prisoners with adequate medical care
243 people have sent 5,695 messages

Worldwide Support for Nasrin Sotoudeh & Iran’s Human Rights Defenders

As a gesture of solidarity and support, many law organizations, non-profits, and associations around the world have released statements condemning the treatment of Iran’s human rights defenders, many of whom remain detained on politically motivated charges or sentenced to long prison terms.

Thus far, the National Lawyers Guild and the European Democratic Lawyers have voiced their concerns, with organizations such as Italy’s “Women in Black” and PEN International following suit. The organizations have called for the release of human rights lawyers, including Nasrin Sotoudeh, Mohammad Oliyafar, and members of Iran’s Defenders of Human Rights Center and the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) to allow these lawyers to work without harassment, threats, or restrictions to their work and free expression.The European Parliament also made a motion for a resolution on Iran regarding the case of Nasrin Sotoudeh.

If you’re part of a law organization or association, law school, student union etc., consider working with your group/association to publish a similar statement of support or sign on to an existing one. U4I has drafted a sample statement of support for Iran’s human rights defenders that can be used as-is or modified and personalized. Let us know if your group decides to take action. If you post it on the association’s website, we would greatly appreciate a link to share with the world. If your group doesn’t have a website and needs a place to publish the statement, feel free to contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

Human Rights Watch Publishes 21st Annual World Report

Human Rights Watch just published its 21st annual World Report, which summarizes human rights conditions in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and reflects investigative work undertaken in 2010 by HRW in partnership with other rights activists.

The report details Iran’s deepened human rights crisis since 2009′s disputed presidential election and notes that hundreds of people – including lawyers, rights defenders, journalists, civil society activists, and opposition leaders – remain detained without charge. The report further explores how interrogators continue to use torture to extract confessions from prisoners, which the judiciary has used as a basis to sentence people to long prison terms and even executions. It also examines the restrictions on freedom of expression and association and religious and gender-based discrimination.

To read more about Iran’s human rights crisis in the HRW World Report, click here.

translate this

Das könnte Ihnen gefallen