Category Archives: Uncategorized

SCE News Blog has moved

The SCE News Blog was first located on blog.com.  Unfortunately, due to potential hacking issues we were unable to continue on blog.com.  This Archive is a back up of the articles originally posted on scenews.blog.com, stored in chronological order from February 2007 to August 2009.

For our new location, visit our site at: www.stopchildexecutions.com where you can follow the News & Updates from August 2009 to present.

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.

 

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 16 JULY 2009 TO:

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.

Fear of Juvenile imprisonments and executions

Iranian human rights attorney Mohammad Mostafaei today wrote :  “I was released but remain imprisoned”آزاد شدم ولی باز اسیرم

In its latest update Amnesty International wrote: “Mostafaei is accused of “conspiring against state security” and “propaganda against the system”. He is likely to face prosecution and if imprisoned he would be a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for his human rights activities and the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and association.
Mohammad Mosatafaei was released from section 209 of Evin prison in the Iranian capital, Tehran on 1 July after the payment of one billion Iranian rials (approximately US$ 102,000). Mohammad Mostafaei was arrested in Tehran on 25 June by plainclothes security officials. He was told he is accused of “conspiring against state security” and “propaganda against the system”.

After release Mostafaei wrote  a letter to head of judiciary Ayatollah Shahrudi and referred to articles of Iranian law that are being violated by arrests without court order, treatment and the interrogation techniques used in prison , trying to get confession bind folded while sitting behind prisoner , psychological pressure and abuse , keeping imprisoned without court hearing more than 48 hours, not allowing contact with family, no lawyer presentation: http://mohegh.blogfa.com/post-116.aspx
He has not mentioned himself but one can see those are from his own experiences. Authorities knew he is a well known human rights attorney and with many contacts outside Iran.
Those unknown are treated many times worse. Here the how a typical welcoming ceremony starts in the streets of Iran:

 
In another article Mostafaei wrote that 29 people are being executed Saturday accused of being drug dealers, breaking God’s rules of law and Corruption (ages unknown). Validity of the accusations , or the cases are unknown. 
 
Nazanin Afshin-jam also recently wrote: “I am really worried with the state of terror in Iran we will see a surge in executions in the coming weeks. 47% of Iranians are below the age 18.” 
 
According to an unconfirmed video uploaded today on youtube , during a demonstration on Gandi St. in Tehran on 20 June, a 10-yr old boy was shot and though rushed to the hospital by his father, he died en route.
.


There are many teenagers among the demonstrators and it is feared that some 
juveniles have also been among those who have been beaten, injured, arrested, 
imprisoned or killed.

Welcome home dear Mohammad

آزادی من پس از 7 روز


 امروز بعد از ظهر با سپردن قرار وثیقه به میزان یک میلیارد ریال به اتهام اقدام علیه امنیت کشور و تبلیغ عیله نظام
از بند 209 امنیتی زندان اوین آزاد شدم.
از تمام کسانی که در آزادیم نقش داشتند صمیمانه سپاسگذارم.
اسارتم باعث شد تا در احقاق حقوق بشر پیش از پیش کوشش کرده و استوار بمانم.
پاینده باشید و مانا 

محمد مصطفایی

Free after 7 days

This afternoon after paying 1 billion Rials (about $100,000 USD) , being accused of conspiracy against the security of the government and propaganda against the regime, I was released from section 209 of the Evin prison (in Tehran)

 
I greatly am thankful to all of those who had a role in gaining my freedom.
 
My imprisonment made me more determined than ever to solidly stand for human rights 
 
Remain strong and standing

Mohammad Mostafaei

From cradle to coffin: child executions In Iran

(2023: Video has now been set to private by the owner – https://www.youtube.com/v/9Am9Q-kpR7w)

LOCATION Portcullis House, London

SPEAKER UK Foreign Office Minister, Ivan Lewis

DATE June 30, 2009

Many thanks for inviting me here tonight to mark the launch of the Stop Child Executions report into juvenile executions in Iran.

The launch of this report is timely: we have all been watching with concern the aftermath to the election in Iran. We have said repeatedly that we do not want to interfere in Iran’s internal affairs: it is for Iranians to decide who should govern them.

But with our EU partners we have condemned the arrest and detention of peaceful demonstrators and journalists. People everywhere in the world have the right to express their views freely and peacefully.

We must continue to speak out when we see such tragic events, particularly given that Iran’s human rights record is a cause for concern to us all.

The plight of the 130 children currently on death row throughout Iran is just one such concern that must remain at the very forefront of all our minds.

No doubt you will all remember what you were doing early on the morning of the 1 May, when you learned of the tragic news that Delara Darabi had been put to death, hanged for a crime she was accused of committing when she was just 17.

Despite six years of tireless campaigning for her release by the international community, led by Stop Child Executions, Delara was executed suddenly and without warning. Neither her family nor her lawyer was told until it was too late.

It is a fitting tribute that Delara’s artwork adorns the cover of this pamphlet.

Unfortunately her death is the latest in a terribly long list. Iran has executed at least forty juvenile offenders since 1999, and is one of the only countries to continue this unacceptable practice.

Such acts are simply wrong.

They are also in clear violation of internationally accepted norms and legal standards. The Iranian government must know this, not least because it has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and actively participated in the drafting of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Both unequivocally prohibit the use of the death penalty against people convicted of crimes committed under the age of 18.

The Iranian government has committed themselves to protecting and enshrining the rights contained within. They have also agreed to hold themselves accountable before the international community.

The UK Government is determined to help that happen. Alongside our EU partners we are committed to speaking out publically against the death penalty wherever it is applied, and make representations on behalf of each and every juvenile at risk of execution.

Over the last eighteen months we, alongside our EU partners, have made direct representations to the Iranian authorities on behalf of juveniles facing the noose.

And international pressure has made a difference. In many cases they have been issued a stay of execution.

Yet this is not enough.  Words are not enough.  And the present situation  has made it even harder for us to get our message across.

The international community and civil society has a role to play.  We are strongest when we work together.

That is why the work of organisations such as Stop Child Executions is so important.

Not only do they provide valuable information for the outside world, they provide hope and support to the victims and their families, and also to millions of Iranians who are campaigning for their government to abolish juvenile executions for good.

I am extremely encouraged by the publication of this comprehensive report.  It provides irrefutable evidence as to the situation on the ground and makes many excellent recommendations for both Iran and the international community to take forward.

Importantly, the report highlights the many legal inconsistencies in Iran’s judiciary and stark contradictions between its actions and its human rights commitments.

Reports such as this are particularly important as Iran prepares to stand before the UN’s Universal Period Review in 2010.

The UN’s “UPR” process is an increasingly effective mechanism used to examine member States’ human rights records.  The UK government is committed to engaging with the process and hope we can work together with organisations such as SCE and the Foreign Policy Centre to make that happen.

Publications and events like this serve to remind the Iranian authorities that the eyes of the world are on them. Their actions do not go unnoticed.

In conclusion, I want to thank the authors of this report for doing just that.

And for reminding us all here tonight just how far Iran really is from implementing its freely undertaken human rights commitments, and why we must all continue to work together to fight for the rights of those who are denied a voice.

Source: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-news/?view=Speech&id=20448954

بی خبری از وضعیت محمد مصطفایی

 Radio Farda  & RoozOnLine

با گذشت چهار روز از بازداشت محمد مصطفایی، هنوز از سرنوشت و محل نگهداری او اطلاعی در دست نیست. این وکیل دادگستری که در سه سال اخیر تلاشهای فراوانی برای توقف اعدام کودکان و نوجوانان انجام داده، روز پنج شنبه توسط نیروهای لباس شخصی بازداشت شد.

همسر محمد مصطفایی با اعلام این خبر گفت: روز پنج شنبه به همراه محمد و دخترمان به بیرون از خانه رفته بودیم که چند نیروی لباس شخصی همسرم را شناخته و از او خواستند که با آنها برود. وی افزود: آنها به خانه ما آمدند و بعد به دفتر کار همسرم مراجعه کردند و بعد از تفتیش این دو محل او را با خود بردند.

همسر مصطفایی با اشاره به اینکه “برخورد بازداشت کنندگان توهین آمیز نبود، ولی محمد را در مقابل دختر کوچکمان بازداشت کردند”، از بی خبری در مورد وضعیت همسرش ابراز نگرانی می کند و می گوید:  از روز پنج شنبه از او بی خبریم. نه می دانیم او را کجا نگه می دارند و نه تماسی داشته است.

محمد مصطقایی وکیل حقوق بشری جوانی است که در چند سال اخیر به طور داوطلبانه وکالت برخی از محکومان نوجوان به اعدام، فعالان اجتماعی را به عهده گرفته است

Amnesty International urgent action

URGENT ACTION

HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER RISKS TORTURE

Human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei was arrested on 25 June, probably in relation to his human rights activities and his peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression and association after the disputed re-election of President Ahmadinejad. Mohammad Mostafaei is a prisoner of conscience. He is at risk of torture.

 

Mohammad Mostafaei was arrested in Tehran on 25 June by plainclothes officials, while he was away from his home with his wife and daughter. The officials searched the family home and Mohammad Mostafaei’s office, and then took him away. His whereabouts remain unknown since his arrest.

Mohammad Mostafaei is a human rights lawyer who is best known for his campaigning against the execution in Iran of people convicted of crimes committed when they were under the age of 18. He is representing at least 25 juveniles sentenced to death for such crimes.

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

n  calling on the authorities to release Mohammad Mostafaei immediately and unconditionally, if he has been arrested solely for his human rights activities and the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and  association, and is therefore a prisoner of conscience;

n  urging them to allow him immediate access to his family, a lawyer of his choice and any medical treatment he may require, and ensure that he is protected from all forms of torture or other ill-treatment;

n  calling on the authorities to allow peaceful demonstrations by those who wish to express their opinions on the elections to take place.

 

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 10 August 2009 TO:

Title   

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

 

Title   

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi

Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)

Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email:              shahroudi@dadgostary-tehran.ir

(In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)

Salutation: Your Excellency

 

 

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

 

URGENT CALL: Release Attorney Mohammad Mostafaei

(Update June 30: Mohammad Mostafaei was approached by plain clothes government agents on Thursday June 25 while he was in the street with his family.His home and office were searched and then he was taken away in front of his young daughter. There is no information about his whereabouts.roozonline.com )


(Update June 29: Within less than 24 hours of the email and publishing of the URGENT CALL to release Mohamamd Mostafaei,  the news, demands or the SCE statement has been reflected by Wall Street Journal, Amnesty International, Iran’s Amirkabir university student news website, Radio Farda, Radio Iran KRSI, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Iran Human Rights and others. We expect more reaction in the coming days. No new information has been received about Mr. Mostafaei’s condition and whereabout.)

Stop Child Executions regretfully confirms the arrest of the Human and Child Rights Attorney Mohammad Mostafaei by the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mr. Mostafaei who represents more than 25 Iranian juveniles facing execution has been imprisoned since Thursday June 25, 2009 .

Mr. Mostafaei has always been acting within the laws of the Islamic Republic representing clients or addressing violations of laws by the Islamic Republic of Iran and there are no legal grounds for his arrest. Mr. Mostafaei maintains a blog at http://mohegh.blogfa.com/.

SCE is extremely concerned about the status and well being of Attorney Mostafaei as well as the juveniles that he is supposed to be representing. Stop Child Execution is looking in to filling a legal complain with the United Nations about the illegal arrest of Mr. Mostafaei as well as contacting other authorities.
 

We urge that you contact the officials of the Islamic Republic and demand an immediate release of Mohammad Mostafaei. We also ask that readers, human rights activists and organizations to spread the news and also ask the government authorities of different countries and United Nations to also ask for release of Mr. Mostafaei.

Please send your requests to:


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
 
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
 
Supreme 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       
 
Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran
Mohammad Javad Larijani
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
Fax:                           +98 21 3390 4986 (please keep trying)
Email:                      info@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Javad Larijani)
Salutation:              Dear Mr Larijani
and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

Stop Child executions
www.stopchildexecutions.com
info@stopchildexecutions.com
http://scenews.blog.com

Twitter: Attorney Mohammad Mostafaei arrested

UNCONFIRMED: According to news sent from Iran via Twitter and facebook, children rights attorney Mohammad Mostafaei has been arrested and imprisoned by the Islamic regime in Iran three days ago. It is said that he has contacted his family once from prison.

Mr. Mostafaei is a children Rights and human rights attorney who currently represents more than 25 juveniles facing death penalty. He has always been acting within the laws of the Islamic Republic representing clients or addressing violations of laws of the the Islamic Republic of Iran and there can not be any legal grounds for his arrest. SCE is extremely concerned about the status and well being of of Attorney Mostafaei as well as the juveniles that he is supposed to be representing. Mr. Mostafaei maintains a blog at http://mohegh.blogfa.com/.
 
Stop Child Executions has not been able to independently verify the information. If you have any information please email to info@stopchildexecutions.com as soon as possible. Please provide the source of your information.

We will provide more updates upon confirmation.