Amnesty International Issues Appeal to Save Iranian Teenager from Execution
Amnesty International has issued an urgent appeal calling for immediate action regarding the situation of Danial Zein al-Abidini, an Iranian teenager facing execution. The international organization states that Danial Zein al-Abidini is at risk of execution in Mahabad prison for a crime committed when he was 17 years old.
According to Amnesty International’s report, executing Danial Zein al-Abidini, who is currently 18 years old, would constitute a violation of the “Convention on the Rights of the Child” and the “International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” treaties to which Iran is also a signatory.
Through this appeal, the human rights organization has called on people and human rights activists around the world to respond to this sentence by writing letters to the Head of the Judiciary in their own language and inspired by this appeal, and to demand the suspension of the execution order for this Iranian teenager.
In the suggested letter, Amnesty International has asked Iranian authorities to implement necessary measures to amend Article 91 of the “Islamic Penal Code” by introducing new legal provisions, so that the death sentence for crimes committed by individuals under 18 years old is completely abolished without any conditions by the courts and without any other considerations or exceptions, in line with Iran’s commitments under international law.
Seyyed Danial Zein al-Abidini, born August 10, 2000, was arrested at age 17 on charges of participating in the murder and arson of Sadegh Barmaki along with three other youths on September 22, 2017. He was convicted of execution by the Criminal Court One of Mahabad, and the sentence was upheld by Branch 37 of the Supreme Court.
Amnesty International reported in April of this year that Iran alone has been responsible for 97 executions of children under 18 since 1990, equivalent to two-thirds of all such executions worldwide.
Amnesty International has documented the cases of 90 individuals who were under 18 at the time of their alleged crimes and are currently on death row in Iran. However, the actual number is believed to be higher.
Source: Voice of America
