Showing posts with label executions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label executions. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Iran Execution of Child Condemned by UN Human Rights Office

GUARDIAN EUROPE: Seventeen-year-old Hamidreza Azari was executed along with Milad Zohrevand, 22, as UN agency calls for moratorium on capital punishment

The United Nations said Tuesday it deplored the executions of a 17-year-old and a 22-year old in Iran and urged Tehran to immediately stop applying the death penalty.

The UN Human Rights Office said it was troubled by Friday’s executions. “The execution of Hamidreza Azari, who was accused of murder, is the first reported execution of an alleged child offender in Iran this year,” spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell said in a statement.

She reminded Tehran of its obligation under international conventions to prohibit death sentences and their implementation for crimes committed by individuals below the age of 18.

“We are also troubled by the execution, on the same day, of 22-year-old Milad Zohrevand – the eighth person to be executed in the context of the September 2022 protests,” said Throssell.

“Available information indicates that his trial lacked the basic requirements for due process under international human rights law. There are also troubling reports that Zohrevand’s parents were arrested following his execution.

“We deplore the executions.” » | Agence-France Presse | Wednesday, November 29, 2023

This tells us all we need to know about Islam! It is a religion characterised by mercilessness and brutality. – © Mark Alexander

‘It is not possible to organise in Iran’: jailed activist warns of totalitarianism after Mahsa Amini protests: Majid Tavakoli says protesters should have had more help from abroad but the west doesn’t understand what Iran has become »

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Iran's New Anti-LGBTQ Laws: Executions, Criminalization and Social Injustices against Homosexuality

Feb 21, 2022 | Iran executed two gay men convicted for being homosexual. Homosexuality is illegal in Iran. This execution occurred is part of the state sponsored persecution and criminalization of homosexuality and LGBTQ people.

These two men, Mehrdad Karimpour and Farid Mohammadi spent six years on death row and were hanged as punishment for “sexual intercourse between two men.”

Last July, two other men were executed for the same charges. Last year, Iran executed 299 people accused of actions that are lesbian or gay, including 4 people convicted as children.

Currently, an Iranian LGBTQ activist is being held on charges linked to her appearance in a BBC documentary on gay rights. Zahra Sedighi-Hamadan was arrested while trying to flee to neighboring Turkey. Iranian prosecutors charged her for “spreading corruption on earth” and “promoting homosexuality.”

Homosexuality is banned in Iran withers penal code explicitly criminalizing sexual behavior between people of the same sex.

UN investigators have attempted to share the information about the alarming rate Iran continues to implement the death penalty. Following strict sharia law, homosexual relations are punishable by death. Under the same laws, sodomy, rape, adultery, robbery, and murder are among crimes that lead to the death penalty.



Caution: Discretion is advised when viewing this documentary. It is not suitable for children. – Mark

Sunday, August 13, 2023

Please Help Save Mohammad’s Life and Help Shine a Spotlight on Iran’s Horrific Execution Program

AVAAZ: The world in action

“Mohammad is now on death row, and could be hanged any day. Iran is already under pressure - and global outcries have stopped executions before. There’s no time to waste: share with all your friends now, and when it’s huge, Avaaz will bring our voices to the UN Rights Chief and key governments - and we’ll make Mohammad’s story famous in the media.”

Please help save this young man’ slife and sign the petition here.

Monday, May 08, 2023

'Fire under the Ashes': Why Executions Are Not Stopping Iranian Protesters

Jan 23, 2023 IRAN | It has been more than four months since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini at the hands of Iran's morality police sparked waves of protests across the country.

After mass arrests, the Iranian regime has now begun executing people connected to the protests in what the UN human rights office has called ‘unfair trials based on forced confessions’. As concern grows for those demanding change in Iran, journalist Deepa Parent explains what we know about the executions so far – and how they have created a 'fire under the ashes' by fuelling protesters' anger.



READ THE GUARDIAN ARTICLE:

Iran hangs two men for blasphemy as executions rise amid unrest: Deaths take number of prisoners executed to at least 203 since start of this year, says human rights group »

Sunday, January 08, 2023

US Condemns Iran for Hanging Anti-government Protesters - BBC News

Jan 8, 2023 | Two men have been hanged in Iran for killing a member of the security forces during nationwide protests against the government last year. Mohammad Mahdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini had appealed against their sentences, saying they had been tortured into making false confessions.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the executions were "abhorrent". The total number of protesters known to have been executed in the aftermath of the unrest is now four.

Demonstrations against the clerical establishment erupted in September following the death in custody of a woman detained by morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab, or headscarf, "improperly".


Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Iranian Family Torn Apart by Protest Crackdown | DW News

Dec 21, 2022 | The European Union has told Iran it must immediately end its crackdown on demonstrators. One of those in danger of being executed is Ghareh Hassanlou. His wife was given a lengthy sentence. DW spoke with Hassanlou's brother, who lives in the Netherlands.

Monday, December 12, 2022

Iran Crackdown: Second Man Executed over Anti-regime Protests

Dec 12, 2022 A second man has been executed in Iran for taking part in anti-regime protests. This time, the execution is reported to have taken place in public in the Holy city of Mashhad. Majidreza Rahnavard was hanged after the authorities accused him of killing two members of the security forces.


here.

How Is Iran's Brutal Crackdown Impacting the Protest Movement? | DW News

Dec 12, 2022 | Demonstrations have been called across Iran after a second protester was executed by the regime. Majidreza Rahnavard was detained during anti-government protests. He was convicted for allegedly stabbing two security officers to death during demonstrations. Human rights activists say nearly 500 people have been killed in the nationwide protests that began in mid-September. They estimate at least a dozen people are facing the death penalty for taking part in the protest movement.


Related links here.

Iran Carries Out Second Execution over Protests – BBC News

Dec 12, 2022 | Iran said it has carried out a second execution linked to the anti-government protests engulfing the country. Majidreza Rahnavard was hanged "in public" early on Monday in the city of Mashhad, the judiciary announced. A court convicted him of the charge of "enmity against God" after finding he had stabbed to death two members of the paramilitary Basij Resistance Force. Human rights groups have warned that protesters are being sentenced to death after sham trials with no due process.


Related article here.

Iran Carries Out Second Execution Linked to Nationwide Protests

THE GUARDIAN: Majidreza Rahnavard accused of fatally stabbing security force members early in protests sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death in custody

Majidreza Rahnavard is the second person to have been executed in relation to the protests in Iran. Photograph: social media

Iran has publicly hanged a man accused of killing two members of the security forces in its second use of capital punishment against anti-government protesters.

Majidreza Rahnavard’s family were woken early on Monday morning to be informed that he had been executed and that his body had been buried in a lot in the local cemetery.

Rahnavard, a 23-year-old wrestler, had been sentenced to death by a court in the city of Mashhad for allegedly killing two members of the Basij volunteer force and wounding four others. The Basij force, affiliated with the country’s Revolutionary Guards, has been at the forefront of the state crackdown on protests.

The judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported that he was arrested on 19 November while trying to flee the country. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Monday, December 12, 2022

Saturday, December 10, 2022

How Do European Countries Respond to the First Execution of a Protester in Iran? | DW News

Dec 10, 2022 | Britain has placed new sanctions on Iran, including numerous government officials, for their part in a crackdown on anti-regime protesters. This comes as the European Union announced it too is planning further sanctions. International condemnation has followed Tehran's execution of a protester. Mohsen Shekari was hanged on Thursday, and activists are warning that at least a dozen more Iranian protesters face the same fate.

Friday, December 09, 2022

Iran Carries Out First Known Execution over Protests | DW News

Dec 9, 2022 | Iran has announced the first execution of a protester, who was convicted of injuring a member of the security forces. Twenty-three-year-old Mohsen Shekari was hanged in Tehran after what human rights groups condemned as a sham trial.

Iran has seen mass anti-regime protests since the death of a young Kurdish woman, the 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini, in the custody of "morality police," who had arrested her for allegedly not wearing the hijab, or Islamic head scarf, appropriately.

According to human rights organizations, about 18,000 protesters have been arrested so far. At least 11 of them have been convicted of "war against God."



Related BBC video here.

AU LIRE :

En Iran, un premier manifestant de 23 ans exécuté, des dizaines d’autres condamnés risquent la mort : Selon Amnesty International, vingt-huit personnes dont trois mineurs, arrêtées depuis le début de la contestation iranienne, risquent le même sort. »

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

UK Condemns ‘Abhorrent’ Torture of Death Row Inmate in Saudi Arabia

THE GUARDIAN: Foreign Office minister says case of Hussein Abo al-Kheir raised ‘at highest level’ and demands end to executions

Hussein Abo al-Kheir is on death row in Saudi Arabia for drug offences; he has said he only confessed under torture. Photograph: European Saudi organisation for human rights

The British government has condemned as “abhorrent” what it said was the clear torture of a Jordanian national on death row in Saudi Arabia for drug offences, and demanded an end to a sudden spate of executions in the Gulf monarchy.

It was the first time the British government has made the allegation.

After growing pressure to comment on the issue, Foreign Office minister David Rutley told parliament that London had raised Hussein Abo al-Kheir’s case “at the highest level”.

The kingdom had previously given a commitment it would not impose the death penalty for drug offences, but has suddenly resumed executions. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Monday, November 28, 2022

It is to be presumed that this execution, along with all others in the Kingdom, is to take place “In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful”. – Mark Alexander

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Saudi Execution Spree Continues as Fears Rise for Jordanian on Death Row

THE GUARDIAN: David Davis asks foreign secretary and Saudi ambassador to intervene in reprieve for Hussein Abo al-Kheir

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday executed two more Saudi citizens for drug offences, taking the total number of executions in the past fortnight to 17.

The kingdom had previously given a commitment it would not impose the death penalty for drug offences, but has suddenly gone back on its word, executing seven Saudi and 10 foreign nationals. Saudi Arabia has already executed 130 people this year.

The spate of executions, as the kingdom celebrates its victory over Argentina in the World Cup, has prompted the former Conservative cabinet minister David Davis to write to the UK foreign secretary, James Cleverly, and the Saudi ambassador in the UK to ask them to intervene to reprieve Hussein Abo al-Kheir, a Jordanian man. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Monday, October 10, 2022

Iran Executes 2 Gay Men over Sodomy Charges

Feb 2, 2022 | Interview with Peter Tatchell, Director at the Peter Tatchell Foundation.

Iran Has One of the World's Highest Execution Rates | DW News

ctober 10 marks World Day against the Death Penalty. A minority of 18 countries still carried out executions in 2021. According to Amnesty International, at least 314 (or 54%) of the 579 registered executions in 2021 were carried out in Iran.

Saturday, March 12, 2022

Saudi Arabia Executes 81 Men in 24 Hours

THE GUARDIAN: Officials say those executed were convicted of charges including terrorism and holding ‘deviant beliefs’

A man walks past a banner showing King Salman, right, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, outside a mall in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia. Photograph: Amr Nabil/AP

Saudi Arabia has executed 81 men over the past 24 hours, including seven Yemenis and one Syrian national, on charges including terrorism and holding “deviant beliefs“, state news agency SPA said on Saturday.

The number dwarfed the 67 executions reported in the kingdom in all of 2021 and the 27 in 2020.

“These individuals … were convicted of various crimes including murdering innocent men, women and children,” SPA said, citing a statement from the interior ministry.

“Crimes committed by these individuals also include pledging allegiance to foreign terrorist organisations, such as Isis (Islamic State), al-Qaeda and the Houthis,” it added.

Some travelled to conflict zones to join “terrorist organisations“, SPA said. » | Reuters | Saturday, March 12, 2022

Fear not! You can rest assured that all 81 were executed ‘In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful’! – Mark

PS: Expect this website to be hacked very shortly!

Thursday, December 10, 2020

In Trump’s Final Days, a Rush of Federal Executions

BBC: As President Donald Trump's days in the White House wane, his administration is racing through a string of federal executions.

Five executions are scheduled before President-elect Joe Biden's 20 January inauguration - breaking with an 130-year-old precedent of pausing executions amid a presidential transition.

And if all five take place, Mr Trump will be the country's most prolific execution president in more than a century, overseeing the executions of 13 death row inmates since July of this year.

The five executions are to begin this week, starting with convicted killers 40-year-old Brandon Bernard and 56-year-old Alfred Bourgeois. They are both scheduled to be put to death at a penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. » | Holly Honderich | BBC News, Washington | Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

In Rare Surge of Online Unity, Iranians Call for Halt to Executions


THE NEW YORK TIMES: Actors, scholars, star athletes and millions of others called for three young protesters’ lives to be spared. “I’m next, you’re next, we’re next,” one meme read.

Iranians from all walks of life — teachers, doctors, designers, cooks, actors, directors, artists, homemakers, bloggers — have taken to social media with a message for the government: Stop the executions.

The online campaign, which took place on Tuesday and which analysts said was remarkable for its scope and the breadth of its support, was in response to the judiciary’s announcement earlier in the day that it had upheld the death sentences of three young men who joined antigovernment protests in November.

Iran put 251 people to death last year, more than any country but China, according to Amnesty International. In recent weeks, many Iranians have been rattled by a series of executions based on murky charges, from drinking alcohol to political activism to allegedly spying for the C.I.A.

“I’m next, you’re next, we’re next,” read a meme that was widely shared online. » | Farnaz Fassihi | Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Thursday, August 09, 2018

The Man Who Witnessed Hundreds of Executions - BBC Newsnight


Capital punishment was re-introduced in Texas in 1976 and, as every death sentence is carried out, it is witnessed. Associated Press reporter Michael Graczyk has been present at more than 400 executions over the last 34 years. Speaking to Evan Davis, he reflects on his experiences.