Urgent Appeal to Stop Imminent Juvenile Execution

Saeed Jazzi to be Hanged Soon

(21 May 2008) The Iranian Judiciary should immediately stop the imminent execution of Saeed Jazzi for a crime he allegedly committed while he was under the age of 18, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. The Campaign is urging the international community to act swiftly and condemn the sentence, and Iran’s continued execution of juveniles in violation of its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Iran leads the world in juvenile executions, accounting for more than 73% of such executions worldwide in the past three years. The Campaign has obtained a list of 107 juvenile defendants on the death row in Iran.Saeed Jazzi, convicted for a crime he committed at age 17, is in danger of imminent execution, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported on 20 May 2008. The head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, has reportedly confirmed Jazzi’s sentence and paved the way for his execution.

“Iran is grossly violating its international obligations by continuing to execute children. It is moving against the international norm and with full speed ahead,” the Campaign stated.

The Campaign noted that the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty on 17 December 2008.

“Iran’s allies such as Venezuela and Cuba are strong opponents of the death penalty. Iran is isolating itself with its insistence on executing children,” the Campaign said.

The Campaign urges UN member states including members of the European Union to call on Iran to stop the execution of Saeed Jazzi and abolish juvenile executions. The Campaign also calls on international non-governmental organizations to urge Iran to end this abhorrent practice and to respect its international obligations.