At Least Two Juvenile Offenders Hanged in Iran

The Iran Human Rights group reported on April 25 that, according to reliable sources, at least two of those who were hanged in Bandar Abbas last week were 17 years old at the time of the alleged offence.

Four young men were hanged by cranes on April 21. on a beach in the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas. Three of the men were convicted of rape and murdering a 15 years old boy November 30th 2008. Another man was convicted of raping a girl in May 8th 2009.

According to IHR’s sources the three men in the murder case were arrested few months after the alleged offence. At that time they were identified as “S. N.” (18 years old), “A. N.” (17 years old) and “H. B.” (17 years old).

It is not clear whether “S.N.” was 18 or 17 years old at the time of the alleged offence which was several months prior to the arrest.

The person who was convicted of raping a 17 years old girl in 2009 was identified as “S. M.” (22 years old).

Iran has ratified the UN’s convention of the Child’s rights that bans death penalty for offences convicted at less than 18 years of age, and which is legally binding. But despite this fact, Iran is on the top of the world in regard to execution of minors. Iranian authorities have executed more than 25 minor offenders since 2007. According to the annual reports of IHR, at least 9 minor offenders were executed in 2007, 9 in 2008, 5 in 2009; 2 in 2010 and at least two minor offenders have been executed so far in 2011.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR, urges the UN’s Special Rapporteur who is scheduled to travel to Iran during the 2011 to give special attention to the minors on the death row.