Urgent: Mohammad Reza Haddadi at risk of imminent execution

Iranian JUVENILE faces execution on 16 JULY

The execution of 20-year-old Mohammad Reza Haddadi has been scheduled in the city of Shiraz, southern Iran, on 16 July. He has been sentenced to death for a crime he allegedly committed while under the age of 18. This is the third time his execution has been scheduled.

On 27 May, the Head of the Judiciary had halted the execution of Mohammad Reza Haddadi, which was scheduled to take place that day in Adelabad prison in Shiraz. The Head of the Judiciary had ordered Branch 17 of the Supreme Court to conduct a review of the case. However, in an interview with the Iranian daily newspaper Sarmayeh, Mohammad Reza Haddadi’s brother said that since the review was ordered, although no trial sessions have been held, the execution was nevertheless scheduled for 16 July.

Mohammad Reza Haddadi was sentenced to death in 2004 for a murder he allegedly committed when he was 15. He confessed to the murder, but retracted the confession during his trial, saying he had claimed responsibility for the killing only because his two co-defendants had offered to give his family money if he did so. During the trial he said that he had not taken part in the murder. His co-defendants later supported Mohammad Reza Haddadi's claims of innocence, and withdrew their testimony that had implicated him. They were both over 18 at the time of the crime and received prison sentences. Mohammad Reza Haddadi’s death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court in July 2005. He was first scheduled for execution in October 2008, but it was stayed on the order of the Head of the Judiciary.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:

n  calling on the Iranian authorities to halt the execution of Mohammad Reza Haddadi immediately, and commute his death sentence;

n  reminding the authorities that Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which prohibit the use of the death penalty against people convicted of crimes committed when they were under 18.

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email:       info_leader@leader.ir

via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=letter (English)

http://www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php?p=letter(Persian)

Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi

c/o Director, Judiciary Public Relations and Information Office

Ardeshir Sadiq

Judiciary Public Relations and Information Office

No. 57, Pasteur St.,

corner of Khosh Zaban Avenue

Tehran, Iran

Email:                               info@dadiran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Judiciary spokesperson

Alireza Jamshidi

Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the Judiciary

Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri

Tehran 1316814737, Iran

Email:  info@a-jamshidi.ir

Salutation: Dear Sir

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives
accredited to your country. Please check with your
section office if sending appeals after the above date.

   How You Can Help

In the rush to execute the Iranian youth on the execution row, the file of Mohammad Latif was also sent to Ayatollah Shahrudi, Iran's head of judiciary for final approval before execution.



In addition to violating international children rights conentions which prohibit execution for a crime committed before the
age of 18, Iran has been executing boys who have been less than 15
years old. Iran's own Islamic Sharia laws states that a boy is not
considered an adult until the age of 15, Mohammad Latif was sentenced
to death for an alleged murder at the age of 14. Makwan Moludzadeh was
the recent example who was executed for for an alleged homosexual
act at the age of 13.

In August of this year , Nazanin Afshin-Jam received an email from
Mr. Mahmoud Latif asking if she could help bring worldwide attention to
the injustice to his son Mohammad Latif who was sentenced to death at
age 14 for defending himself from an 18 year old boy named Mansour
Kayaee.

The news came as another surprise because Mohammad was not on SCE's list of children facing execution. According to
his father, Mohammad was 14 years 11 month and 23 days old when he was
attacked by Mansour and accidentally killed the assailant while trying
to take the knife away from him. His father is extremely worried
about Mohammad who is now 17 years and 9 months, which could mean that
they could execute him in three months when he turns 18 years old.

 

Mr. Latif had written to the head of Judiciary Ayatollah Shahroudi, the
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the head of the Majles (Iranian
Parliament) asking for help, however he has not received any replies.

 

The Supreme Court has confirmed the conviction saying that it was an
intentional act. In his letters Mohammad's father has stated that even
according to Islamic Sharia laws of Iran Mohammad was not at the legal
age of puberty (15 for boys).

 

Through official papers, The Ministry of Health confirmed that at the
time of incident,  Mohammad was not mentally considered an adult. Mr.
Latif also has written confirmation from two Ayatollahs, Behjat and
Makarem Shirazi, that if there was any doubt on the maturity of the
convicted, they could not carry out the execution.

 

A separate examination was conducted a year after the incident which
says that Mohammad was an adult because he was past the age of puberty
and had hair on his body.

 

Later Nazanin Afshin-Jam spoke to Mr. Latif , where he pleaded with the
international community to help save his son from execution.  He said
that his son has already spent three years in prison. When Mohammad was
first admitted to prison, his father described him as a healthy boy.
After spending 10 months in an adult prison in Arak, he was moved to a
prison in Saveh with more juvenile offenders. He now describes his son
as having lost weight, weak, problems with his vision and very nervous
psychologically.

Nazanin Afshin-Jam immediately contacted attorney Mr. Mostafaei to
see if there was anything he or his legal team could do to help
Mohammad. Mr. Mostafaei spoke with Mr. Latif and visited Mohammad in
jail.



source: Etemad Meli newspapr- Iran


We call on all international human rights organizations
and governments to immediately contact offices of Ayatollah Khamenei
and Sharudi and demand an immediate stop to execution of Mohammad Tarif.



We also call on everyone to contact their parliament and government leaders as well as other organizations. 



Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street -

Islamic Republic of Iran

Email:              info@leader.ir

Salutation:       Your Excellency


Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice Building ,