Report on Amputation of a Prisoner’s Fingers
Hrana News Agency – In September of this year, a court order to amputate the fingers of a prisoner accused of theft was carried out in prison. Amputation is among sentences that violate human dignity and continues to be executed in Iran despite domestic and international protests.
According to Hrana News Agency, the news organ of the Iranian Human Rights Activists Network, an order to amputate the fingers of a person accused of theft was carried out on September 13 of the current year in Evin Prison.
Hrana has identified this prisoner as Morteza Jalili.
Mr. Jalili is accused of several counts of theft, including stealing from the residence of the Friday prayer leader of Shiraz.
He, who was being held in Ward 6, Hall 18 of Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, was transferred to Evin Prison in September of this year for the execution of his sentence. On September 13, after the execution procedures were completed, four fingers of this prisoner’s right hand were amputated in accordance with the court’s ruling.
It should be noted that amputation is among matters that violate the principle of human dignity. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights explicitly prohibits the use of inhumane and degrading punishments, but Iran continues to carry out such punishments despite domestic and international protests.
On Wednesday, June 22, 2022, the spokesperson of the United Nations Human Rights Office called on Iran to urgently review its criminal laws and refrain from executing sentences such as amputation, flogging, and stoning.
Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson of this office, reacted to the imminent execution of finger amputation orders for eight prisoners and called for the cancellation of these executions.
Ms. Shamdasani stated that the identities of seven of these prisoners had been identified as Hadi Rostami, Mahdi Sherfian, Mahdi Shahivand, Amir Shirmard, Morteza Jalili, Ebrahim Rafiee, and Yaqoub Fazeli Koushki.
