Outrage after Iran executes 17-year-old

TEHRAN, IRAN (BNO NEWS) -- Iran on Wednesday executed a 17-year-old in public after murder charges, prompting the United Nations (UN) to voice concern over the situation.

Alireza Molla Soltani, 17, was reportedly sentenced to death last month for stabbing a popular athlete to death in mid-July, arguing that it was done in self-defense. Nonetheless, Iran publicly executed Soltani by hanging on Wednesday.

A group of independent UN human rights experts called once again for an immediate halt to the Iran's use of the death penalty, after condemning this recent execution of a teenager. They noted that the death penalty is widely accepted as an extreme punishment, and that it may only be imposed for the most serious crimes.

In a press release, the UN experts on the independence of the judiciary, and on torture expressed outrage at the execution practice in Iran "despite the international community's and our repeated calls for a moratorium."

"Any judgment imposing the death penalty upon juveniles below the age of 18, and their execution, are incompatible with Iran's international obligations," the experts underlined.

Over 200 people have been executed in Iran this year alone, the majority of whom were charged with drug-related offenses, according to the news release. Also on Wednesday, a man convicted of drug trafficking was hanged in Iran, local media reported.

"We, however, regret that execution is common practice for people charged with drug-related offenses, which do not amount to the most serious crimes," they stated.

The group of UN experts is conformed by Christof Heyns, Ahmed Shaheed, Gabriela Knaul and Juan Méndez. They went on to call on the Iranian Government to immediately implement a moratorium on the death penalty, particularly in drug-related and juvenile cases.

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Source: WireUpdate.
Link: http://wireupdate.com/news/outrage-after-iran-executes-17-year-old.html.