Abdorrahman Boroumand Center

for Human Rights in Iran

https://www.iranrights.org
Promoting tolerance and justice through knowledge and understanding
Amputation and Blinding

Man Executed Ten Days After Hand Amputation in Shiraz

Human Rights Activists News Agency - Translation by ABF
April 18, 2017
Newspaper article

A prisoner has been executed following the punitive amputation of his hand this morning at Shiraz’s Adelabad Prison.

The death warrant for a man convicted of murder and robbery was carried out this morning at Adelabad Prison in Shiraz in the presence of the victims’ family. Another part of the man’s sentence - the amputation of a hand – was carried out approximately ten days prior at the same facility.

According to HRANA News, media organ of the Human Rights Activists in Iran organization, Hamid Mo’eini was put to death the morning of April 18, 2017 on the charge of homicide.

In 2014, Mo’eini murdered a woman five months pregnant as well as the woman’s brother - both members of Mo’eini’s extended family – and stole her gold jewelry. At trial, Mo’eini received a hand amputation sentence for the theft and execution for the homicides.

The amputation verdict was implemented approximately ten days ago at Adelabad.

It bears mentioning that two other prisoners were also put to death this morning at Tabriz Central Prison. At Rejai Shahr Prison in Karaj, moreover, fourteen others have been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions. The great majority of these have been convicted of homicide.

The implementation of Mr. Mo’eini’s hand amputation sentence has not received coverage from official Iranian media.

...

ABF Note

 

Findings of guilt in the Islamic Republic of Iran's Judicial Proceedings

The Islamic Republic of Iran's criminal justice system regularly falls short of the standards for due process necessary for impartiality, fairness, and efficacy. Suspects are often held incommunicado and not told of the reason for their detainment. Defendants are frequently prohibited from examining the evidence used against them. Defendants are sometimes prohibited from having their lawyers present in court. Additionally, confessions, made under duress or torture, are commonly admitted as proof of guilt. Because Iran's courts regularly disregard principles essential to the proper administration of justice, findings of guilt may not be evaluated with certainty.

Corporal Punishment: the Legal context in the Islamic Republic of Iran

The Islamic Republic's criminal code recognizes corporal punishment for a wide range of offenses: consumption of alcohol, theft, adultery, "flouting" of public morals, and mixing of the sexes in public. Judges have the latitude to mete out corporal punishment for those sentenced to death. In such cases, the flogging is carried out before death to maximize the suffering of defendant. Aside from flogging, the Islamic Republic also employs amputations as a punishment for theft. In such cases, the defendant is taken to a hospital and put under anesthesia as his hand or foot is amputated. In some cases the left foot and right hand are cut off, making it difficult for the condemned to walk, even with the assistance of a cane or crutches.

The Islamic Republic's Systematic Violation of its International Obligations under International Law

The use of corporal punishment is contrary to international law and is addressed in several international agreements. Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which Iran has ratified, states that, "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." Identical language is also used in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Iran is also a party to. The strongest expression of international disapproval is contained in the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT). This treaty defines torture as, "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as ... punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed." Although the Islamic Republic of Iran has yet to sign the CAT, the prohibition on torture is now considered jus cogens and, therefore, part of customary international law. Furthermore, even though the norm against corporal punishment is not yet a jus cogens, there is increasing evidence that it is illegal under international human rights law.[1] In Osbourne v. Jamaica, the Committee Against Torture (a body of experts responsible for monitoring compliance with the Convention) held that "corporal punishment constitutes cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment contrary to Article 7 of the Convention." The Islamic Republic of Iran's systematic violations of its obligations under international law have been addressed by the UN General Assembly multiple times, most recently in December 2007. In Resolution 62/168, the UN expressed deep concern with Iran's continued flouting of international human rights law, particularly, "confirmed instances of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including flogging and amputations."