October 11th dedicated to Behnoud Shojaee, 21, executed by the Iranian regime
October 11, 2011
Please dedicate October 11th to Behnoud Shojaee. Two years ago today, the Iranian authorities sent Behnoud Shojaee, 21, to the gallows for the sixth time and executed him. It was a horrific day for human rights activists and concerned citizens. Do you remember the day Behnoud Shojaee was killed?
لطفا روز 11 اکتبر را به بهنود شجاعی اختصاص دهید! دو سال پیش در چنین روزی بهنود شجاعی برای ششمین بار به پای چوبه اعدام برده شد. برای من و بسیاری از فعالان حقوق بشر روز ناگواری بود. آیا روزی که بهنود شجاعی اعدام شد را به یاد می آورید؟
Behnoud Shojaee’s lawyers were:
Mohammad Mostafaei and Mohammad Oliyaifard
ALSO READ
Behnoud Shojaee was executed: Mohammad Mostafaei writes about the experience in his blog
Behnoud Shojaee committed murder when he was 17. He was executed on Sunday October 11, 2009 at 5:30am because the family of the victim did not withdraw the complaint. According to Article 37 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, no person under the age of 18 should be “sentenced to death or life imprisonment without possibility of release.” The Islamic parliament signed the convention in 2000. It was also approved by the Guardian Council. According to Section 9 of the Civil Rights, this convention is law, thus it is obligatory to abide by it. However, Iran proceeds to ignore the law and continues to give death sentences to adolescents.
Please Support Amnesty International’s campaign against the death penalty
FURTHER READING ON EXECUTIONS IN IRAN
- Interview with human rights activist on executions: “silence allows violators to set the standards”
- UN experts condemn public execution of teenager in Iran
- Report: Stop the execution machine
- Mohammad Mostafaei Delivers Speech Against Executions
- REPORT: Behnoud Shojaee’s Lawyer Sentenced to One Year in Prison
- Iranian lawyer revives Delara: who is responsible for her death?
- Fatemeh Salbehi, Convicted of Murder at the Age of 16, Faces Execution
- Iranian Regime Commits Another Murder, Former Case Detective Speaks Out on Shahla Jahed
- The Iranian Regime Threatens World with Sakineh’s Death
- Head of Iran’s Prisons: “There are no political prisoners in Iran”
- World Steps Up Pressure on Iranian Regime Over Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Case
The Convention on the Rights of the child is supposed to be a legalised document signed by all countries except 2. Why then are so many not recognising the rights of our children. Can UNICEF, Human Rights organisations or whatever organisations not take a firmer stand and bring these countries to international courts whenever they fail to recognise any of the articles stated in the convention? And why are countries allowed to rectify thus not recognising certain articles of the convention? It would seem that the countries being a signatory to the convention was all formality and the Convention at the end of the day is nothing but a farce. Our children are still not being protected.
Presidency Statement on the execution of Behnoud Shojaee in Iran
The Presidency of the European Union condemns the execution of Behnoud Shojaee on 11 October 2009.
Shojaee was sentenced to death for a crime committed as a minor. The Presidency is concerned about the continued large-scale use of the death penalty in Iran, including the repeated executions of persons who committed crimes below the age of 18.
The Presidency recalls the EU’s longstanding opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances and recalls that any miscarriage or failure of justice in the application of capital punishment represents the irreparable and irreversible loss of human life.
The Presidency continues to call on the Iranian authorities to abolish the death penalty completely and,in the meantime, to establish a moratorium on executions as urged by United Nations General Assembly resolutions 62/149 and 63/168.
http://www.se2009.eu/en/meetings_news/2009/10/13/presidency_statement_on_the_execution_of_behnoud_shojaee_in_iran.html