On 22 September 2011 four United Nations Special Rapporteurs for executions, torture, human rights in Iran, and independence of the judiciary, issued a joint statement condemning Iran’s recent execution of a juvenile and called for the country to immediately institute a moratorium on the death penalty. (Full Statement Below)
Yesterday, 21 September, Iranian authorities hanged 17-year-old offender Alireza Molla-Soltani in public. Under the International Covenant on Civil Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child it is illegal to execute someone for crimes committed under the age of eighteen. Iran is party to both treaties. Nonetheless Iran remains one of a handful of countries still putting juveniles to death. This year Iran executed at least 3 juveniles, including Soltani.
The International Campaign for Iran has repeatedly expressed concern about Iran’s skyrocketing executions, the vast majority of which do not meet international standards. Iran puts to death more people per-capita than any other country in the world and is only second to China in total numbers of executions. In the first three weeks of September alone Iran has executed 51 people.