UN rights office condemns series of executions in Iran

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) - The UN human rights office on Friday "strongly" condemned a series of executions in Iran since mid-December 2020, including of people from minority groups.

In a Twitter post, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said at least 28 people have been executed since mid-December.

"We urge the authorities to halt the imminent execution of Javid Dehghan, to review his and other death penalty cases in line with human rights law," it added.

Dehgan, a prisoner from Iran’s Baluch minority, has been on death row on political and security charges.

Citing sources, Iran Human Rights, a non-profit organization, said he is scheduled to be executed on Saturday.

On Dec. 31 last year, Ravina Shamdasani, a rights office spokeswoman, spoke at a UN press briefing about the execution of a child offender in Iran that day.

"Mohammad Hassan Rezaiee was executed for an offense he allegedly committed when he was 16 years old," she said.

Shamdasani had noted that executing child offenders is "categorically prohibited" under international law, and Iran is obliged to abide by this prohibition.

She quoted UN Human Rights chief Michelle Bachelet as saying, "We are also dismayed that this execution took place despite interventions and engagement by the UN Human Rights Office with the Government of Iran on this issue."

There are "deeply troubling allegations that forced confessions extracted through torture were used in the conviction of Mr. Rezaiee, and there are numerous other serious concerns about violations of his fair trial rights," said Shamdasani.

The UN said it has repeatedly urged Iran to cease “the appalling practice” of executing child offenders, "but we understand that at least 80 child offenders remain on death row."