Tag Archives: Ali Mahin-Torabi

نامه علي مهين ترابي: از تيغ مرگ نجاتم دهيد

SOURCE: ETEMAAD NEWSPAPER
اينها گوشه يي از حرف هاي علي مهين ترابي پسري است که حالا به سن 21 سالگي رسيده است. او که در آستانه اجراي حکم قصاص قرار دارد به جرم قتل همکلاسي اش اکنون در زندان به سر مي برد، آنچه در زير آمده قسمتي از شرح حال علي است که به قلم خودش نوشته شده است.
اينجانب علي مهين ترابي متولد سال 1365 هستم. دوران تحصيل را تا سال دوم هنرستان بدون هيچ گونه مشکل درسي گذراندم، طي 16 سال پيش از اين حوادث تقريباً دوستان زيادي نداشتم. تنها سرگرمي من ورزش هندبال، درس خواندن و تعمير کامپيوتر بود. سال دوم هنرستان، پس از انتخاب رشته تحصيلي کامپيوتر که علاقه وافري به آن داشتم به رغم مشکلات مالي در مدرسه غيرانتفاعي ثبت نام کردم و توانستم رتبه اول کامپيوتر را در آن مدرسه کسب کنم، به طوري که براي شرکت در المپياد کامپيوتر نيز معرفي شدم. متاسفانه در تاريخ 14/11/81 طي نزاع دسته جمعي در مدرسه، درگيري بين ما و چند تن از هم مدرسه يي هايمان صورت گرفت که منجر به فوت يکي از آنان به نام مزدک توسط من شد. روز حادثه با هم مدرسه يي خود که هيچ شناختي نسبت به هم نداشتيم و هيچ خصومتي بين ما نبود، به دليل اينکه زنگ اول با ميلاد تنها دوستم، درگير شده بود، آشنا شدم ماجرا از آنجا شروع شد که من پس از اطلاع از درگيري اين دو نفر به قصد ميانجيگري و اينکه مشکل انضباطي برايمان پيش نيايد، ميان آنها رفتم که در همين حين دوستان مزدک نيز به سمت ما آمدند و به محض شروع درگيري با شنيدن صداي ديگران که مي گفتند؛ مدير آمد، از هم جدا شدند. زنگ آخر که مدرسه تعطيل شد، دم در مدرسه ما بار ديگر همديگر را ديديم. ميلاد به نيت اينکه دوستان مزدک ورزشکار بودند، چاقويي به من داد و گفت اگر ديدي به طرفت حمله کردند، با چاقو آنها را بترسان. اول گفتم بگذار فکر کنند ترسيديم و به منزل برويم، ولي با اصرار ميلاد چاقو را گرفتم و در جيبم گذاشتم. مزدک به سمت ما آمد و شروع به فحاشي کرد، با سر به کله من کوبيد، در يک آن فقط متوجه شدم سيلي يي به صورت او زدم. دور تا دور ما پر از دانش آموزان مدرسه بود، عده يي ما را جدا مي کردند، عده يي با من درگير بودند و ميلاد نيز با مزدک دعوا مي کرد.

با فشار فيزيکي اطرافيان به عقب هل داده شدم و بر اثر همين هل دادن چند قدم عقب تر رفتم و چاقو را از جيبم خارج کردم تا مهاجمان ببينند و سمت من نيايند. مزدک نيز هنوز با ميلاد درگير بود و ميلاد از پشت سر او را مورد ضرب و جرح قرار داده بود که مزدک به سمت من آمد. آن لحظه متوجه نشدم چه اتفاقي افتاد، جفت ما بر اثر ضربه وارد شده از پشت توسط ميلاد به زمين افتاديم… ضمناً در صورتي که فنر چاقو مورد کارشناسي قرار گيرد، ثابت خواهد شد که از قبل مشکل داشته است. نمونه چاقو با تيغه عاري از خون در پرونده ثبت و ضبط شده است.

با حضور ناظم مدرسه در صحنه درگيري، عده يي متواري شدند و عده يي مزدک را که به شدت عصباني بود، کنار کشيدند. وي در حال درآوردن کاپشنش بود و تهديد مي کرد متوجه شدم پيراهن وي خوني است. فرياد زدم کدام نامردي او را با چاقو زده؟ بعد جلوي تنها ماشيني را که در نزديکي مدرسه در حال حرکت بود، گرفتم تا او را به بيمارستان ببريم، پيش خودم فکر مي کردم حال وي خوب مي شود.

مزدک مدتي روي زمين ماند و هيچ کس حاضر نشد او را به بيمارستان برساند تا يکي از دبيران مدرسه آمد و او را سوار بر خودرو کرد و به بيمارستان رساند و من نيز به دفتر مدرسه رفتم. با حضور ماموران کلانتري 15 رجايي شهر به کلانتري منتقل شدم، من که تا به حال به کلانتري يا آگاهي نرفته بودم، خيلي ترسيده بودم ؛ ولي بنا به گفته افسر نگهبان کلانتري که مي گفت مزدک زنده است، خدا را شکر مي کردم که پس از حصول بهبودي حقيقت را خواهد گفت. پس از دو روز که من هنوز نمي دانستم او فوت شده، پدرم به ملاقات من در بازداشتگاه آمد و گفت انتظار هيچ گونه حمايتي از من نداشته باش، تو با آبروي چندين و چند ساله ام بازي کردي. من نيز به او گفتم شما به ملاقات مزدک برويد، خودش همه چيز را برايتان توضيح مي دهد و مي گويد که من نزده ام. پس از انتقال به آگاهي، به من تفهيم اتهام قتل شد، در آنجا متوجه شدم که متاسفانه مزدک فوت شده است.

پدرم تا 20 روز به ملاقاتم نيامد و حتي با درخواست ديگران مبني بر تعيين وکيل نيز مخالفت کرد.

پس از چند روز که ميلاد متواري بود، با وکيل مدافع خودش به آگاهي مراجعه کرد.

در نهايت پس از محاکمه به قصاص و 10 سال حبس محکوم شدم و براي ميلاد نيز سه سال زندان در نظر گرفته شد و اين حکم به تاييد ديوان عالي کشور رسيد و براي استيذان به حوزه رياست قوه قضائيه ارجاع شد و در آنجا آيت الله شاهرودي دستور داد؛ « با توجه به نظريه مشاوران، پرونده در يکي از هيات هاي حل اختلاف به صلح و سازش ختم شود.»

طي يک سالي که پرونده در شوراي حل اختلاف بود، به رغم تلاش هاي بي شائبه شوراي حل اختلاف، معاونت قضايي و مددکاران زندان رجايي شهر، متاسفانه ولي دم راضي به بخشش و عفو اينجانب نشد و تاکنون مصرانه سعي در اجراي حکم داشته است. حتي پدر مزدک، سهم ديه مادر مقتول را که رضايت داده نيز تهيه و براي اجراي حکم پرداخت کرده است. از آنجا که زمان زيادي تا اجراي حکم باقي نمانده است، عاجزانه تقاضاي رسيدگي مجدد و بيطرفانه پرونده را دارم، چرا که اگر دقت نظر بيشتري در بررسي پرونده لحاظ شود، قطعاً بي گناهي من به اثبات خواهد رسيد.

Where has disappeared the Iran I knew?

By: Azarin Sadegh

Last night I met a nice couple visiting US from Iran and as usual, I started to talk about the case of Ali Mahin torabi and Soghra najafpour and all these children at the imminent danger of execution in Iran. I specifically told them about the tragic life story of Soghra that especially these days has made me totally depressed and drowned in a deep sense of loss.

I am sure you would not believe the reaction I got from this couple that left me totally speechless.

A few sample of what they told about Soghra:

1) “These dehaati (villager) girls are more mature than our kids growing up in Tehran, so a 9 years villager maid knows exactly what she is doing and if she really didn’t want it, she wouldn’t let anyone to rape her.”

2) “The dehaati girls in Iran are raised in a way to be able to get married at 9, to have kids at 12, to deal with poverty and drugs and rapes by their fathers and brothers and their society and to die at 35.”

3) “A 12 years old girl capable of throwing an 8 years old in a well deserves to be executed.”

4) “We have so many more important problems in Iran that nobody cares anymore about these cases.”

I was speechless because this new image of Iran wasn’t the Iran I knew.

As a kid, I grew up in (the city of) Shahi in Mazandaran (Northern Iranian province near Caspian Sea). My aunt had a maid named Rogheyeh who was my playmate and my secret friend. Her mother worked also in our house to do laundry. I never learned her mother’s name, but we called her “Naneh Rogheyeh” (Rogheyeh’s Mom).

Rogheyeh started to work in my aunt’s house at 7. She was only three years older than me and she was timid and gentle and helpful. She would let us be mean to her without any complain. We played “hide and seek”, “school classroom roles play” and “Tea Parties” and she was always the one who hid behind the thin trees so we could find her or she was the one who couldn’t play the role of the teacher since she couldn’t read and write and she was always the one who washed the small cups after the party was done. She was my best friend but I never recognized her as a friend. I never told her. Only when we moved to another city, I realized I missed her so much.

Years later, I learned she never went to school and she had to get married at 12. Also I learned she had gotten 5 kids by the age of 20 and since her first child was born, her own identity as Rogheyh disappeared and she became known only as the mother of her first born. Back to the present time, Soghra ‘s story reminds me of my lost secret childhood friend that wasn’t supposed to be my friend and never dared to consider herself as my friend. So the words of the nice couple from Iran hurt me to the bones.

Never.

I will never accept that any girl deserves to be treated this way and I refuse to believe that my motherland has turned to the land of cowards.Never. The Iran I know cannot have been lost its soul and its kindness to the point of ignoring the death of its own poor and helpless. No. I don’t believe it. It cannot be true.

In my wildest dreams Ali is 21 again and Rogheyeh hasn’t died at 35 and Soghra has been forgiven and isn’t in hiding and afraid anymore. In my wildest dreams we all have turned into the heroes and Iran, my Iran, has finally embraced its own children.

New hopes for Ali Mahin-Torabi


According to an email sent by one of Ali Mahin-Torabi’s family members , Although Ali was scheduled to be hanged along with 11 otherse who were recently executed but he was not taken with them for execution by the Iranian authorities.

Ali is accused of murder of another youth at the age of 16 however Ali has denied the charges.

In the email , one of Ali’s family members stated that the coroner has told Ali’s attorney that he will soon be provided with a document which could prove that the murder was not pre-meditated and possibly someone else was the cause. Ali’s family thanked their family friend Azarin Sadegh for her efforts to help save Ali Mahin-Torabi.



Azarin in response wrote  ” I had goose bumps when I read your email with these great news. I couldn’t believe that it is really happening. But still I felt a kind of mix feeling. I feel a deep sense of relief and happiness because Ali seems to be safe now and I hope that he will see the end of this dark and long tunnel very soon. And at the same time the news about other 11 people executed is difficult to hear. ……On another note, about your exaggeration of what I have done for Ali, I truly think it is overstatement. All I did was doing a little bit of web surfing and writing a bunch of emails and articles. The real job is done by these wonderful organizations: StopChildExecutions and Amnesty International. You shouldn’t stop thanking them!”
 
Azarin recently wrote:

Since a few weeks I have been trying to help Ali Mahin Torabi. The day I started this effort, I had no hope and Ali’s family was pretty certain that he had no real chance and it was already too late. So everyone was certain that he was going to get executed at the end of Ramadan. Yet, I wrote an article and I sent hundreds of emails. The organization that responded first to my email was StopChildExecutions founded by Nazanin. Not only they sent their lawyer to help with Ali’s case (It is a fact confirmed by Ali’s family), but also they contacted Amnesty International. Later, I found the email address of a spokesman for Amnesty International and contacted him and he told me that they were already aware of his case (guess by who?) and they are working on making the case part of their Urgent Actions calls. Last week European Union and Amnesty International, both released letter and press releases addressed to Iranian government to urge them to save Ali’s life. There is a new petition to sign on Amnesty International site that is their campaign to save him by sending letters to Iranian authorities. …..Ali’s family was interviewed by Reuters and the report of his ordeal has been spread throughout internet. Since that day Ali (who had already accepted to die young) has finally found some light in his heart and his mother feels less desperate. His family doesn’t stop sending me their prayers and their gratitude for all these organizations that worked so hard to make it happen,…”


Also in an email to SCE Azarin Sadegh wrote: “.Wow! It is great news! Thank you David, Thank you Nazanin!Last night I made a simple Google search on Ali’s name and the number of results found was 18,500! Isn’t it incredible? I remember the first time I did the same search before you have got involved in it, the number was just a two digits number. Thank you so much for your amazing efforts. I am sure Ali has a much better chance of survival now…… I am so impressed by your strength of character in pursuing the case for each of these kids . ….”

Nazanin Afshin-Jam and Stop Child Executions Campaign wish to THANK the following for your efforts to save Ali from the scheduled execution:

Azarin Sadegh, SCE volunteers and supporters, Amnesty International and its supporters, European Union, International Committee Against Executions, Swedish Parliament members, iranian.com and many other bloggers and websites and 100’s of people who responded to ourS and amnesty international’s urgent pleas to write to Iranian authorities.

At the same time we would like to remind everyone that although the scheduled execution was cancelled however Ali Mahin-Torabi still remains at danger of execution until his case is reconsidered .  

Please sign the Amnesty International petition about Ali Mahin-Torabi

Swedish Parliament members demand Iran to stop execution of Ali Mahin-Torabi

In a strong letter to the Islamic Regime in Iran , members of the Swedish parliament questioned the human rights violations in Iran. They also objected to the execution verdict of Ali Mahin-Torabi and demanded the Iranian government to stop all child executions.

Source: International Commiteee Against Executions (Persian)

نمايندگان پارلمان سوئد خواهان لغو حکم اعدام علي مهين ترابي شدند

گروهی از نمایندگان پارلمان سوئد در تاریخ دوشنبه ۲۲ اکتبر، با ارسال يک نامه شديد اللحن به مقامات جمهوري اسلامي خواهان رعايت حقوق انساني در ايران شدند.

در ابتدای نامه آمده است «بنا به تازه ترین اخبار رسمی، وضعیت حقوق بشر در ایران رو به وخامت رفته است آزادی‌های اساسی بیان و تشکل برای جامعه مدنی در سال جاری محدود شده است». همچنین در این نامه آمده است که «با توجه به گزارش اخیر کمیساریای عالی حقوق بشر سازمان ملل متحد و بیانیه تازه جامعه اروپا در مورد نقض حقوق بشر در ایران، ما نیز به عنوان نمایندگان پارلمانی عضو حزب سوسیال دمکرات نقض خشن حقوق بشر در ایران را محکوم می کنیم». نمایندگان حزب سوسیال دمکرات در پارلمان سوئد از علی مهین ترابی- جوانی که در انتظار اعدام است- و منصور اسانلو – دبیر سندیکای شرکت واحد- به عنوان دو مورد از کسانی که حقوق انسانی آنها نقض شده یاد کرده‌اند. در این نامه از رژیم ایران خواسته شده تا همه اعدام‌ها را متوقف نموده مجازات اعدام کودکان را لغو نماید.
همه زندانیان سیاسی اعم از جنبش دانشجوئی، جنبش زنان و جنبش کارگری و جنبش‌های اجتماعی را آزاد نماید. در پایان، امضاء کنندگان نامه، خواهان احقاق حقوق انسانی، اجتماعی و سیاسی جامعه و همچنین آزادی ایجاد تشکل‌های سیاسی و اجتماعی شده‌اند.

مریم یزدانفر (نماینده پارلمان)
کارینا هگ (نماینده پارلمان)
ورونیکا پالم (نماینده پارلمان)
کارینا اولسون (نماینده پارلمان)
بیورن فون سیدو (نماینده پارلمان، رئیس سابق پارلمان سوئد)
کریستینا آکسلسون (نماینده پارلمان)
بوریه وستلوند (نماینده پارلمان)
بو برناردسون (نماینده پارلمان)
آلکساندر گابلیچ (نماینده پارلمان)
میکائل دامبری (نماینده پارلمان)


 

Between Life and Death

Ali Mahin Torabi, how can you die without being alive?

by Azarin Sadegh
21-Oct-2007
 

How are you going to die if you don’t live anymore? What if you never left that exact moment of sorrow when everything surrounding you collapsed by law? Was it your boldness or your youth? I don’t know, but no matter what, you lost them both the moment you entered this zone.

You are hanging in the transit zone between life and death. This space of waiting. This space of hope and madness. This space of denial and despair. This zone where you are not dead – not yet – but life seems like something of the past.

The memories of an ordinary day are far behind you, almost as if they never existed. A morning kiss, or a little smile from the girl you loved without even knowing her name. Those faraway days are gone when you could believe in dreams, in desires, and in possibilities.

The black stench of revenge poisons your space of agony. The blindfolded angel of justice is unreachable, deaf and mute, and her elusive scale of kindness has declared a state of unbalance. The Justice, the one we were promised, is wrecked or maybe –God forbid – humiliated.

Today, you lay down on a bed and the ceiling of a barred room is your only scenic view. Today you sleep without sleeping. You eat without eating. You dream without dreaming. Today every second is a minute, every minute an eternity.

Waiting, waiting, still waiting, waiting for your maledict erasure.

No.

Nobody can kill you because you are already dying slowly, bit by bit, piece by piece. Maybe you are already dead.

Dead at 16.

Time does not move for those who don’t believe in happiness. You are still 16 and the beauty of the world has crumpled beneath the volume of our mourning.

*****************************

Ali Mahin Torabi is in the imminent danger of execution for a crime he did not commit. This is the link to the European Union Press release and the Amnesty International and Stop Child Executions campaign calls for Urgent Action regarding Ali’s case:

* Declaration: EU Presidency on behalf of the
European Union concerning the execution sentence on Mr Ali Mahin
Torabi

* Reuters: EU concerned about Iran youth death verdict
* Amnesty International: IRAN : Ali Mahin Torabi (m) aged 21
UA 263/07 – Death penalty/ Fear of imminent execution�

Please sign the petition and send the letter.

It is our opportunity to accept our responsibility as human beings, and also as a united Iranian community to help another Iranian in distress, to prove that we are a peaceful, kind, and generous breed of people. It is the time.

The world is watching now.

Letters sent to Iran

Here are few letters that were sent to Iranian authorities about Ali Mahin-Torabi:

Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007

Dear Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei  – Leader of the Islamic Republic,

I am writing to you regarding the execution of Ali Mahin Torabi. he is facing the execution in Iran / Karaj at any time, for a crime that he is alleged to commit when he was only 16 years old.

He is the nephew of one of my friends (who is actually 9 months pregnant). She is extremely worried and depressed about the situation of her nephew that she considers like her own son. Ali is truly innocent and we are afraid that by his execution he will pay for someone else’s crime.

His lawyer thinks that there are serious doubts in his guilt, so I would truly appreciate if you could take urgent steps to cancel his death sentence and accept his appeal.

Having two boys myself (who are the pearls of my eyes as the beautiful peresian expression says) still I cannot imagine how desperate and how helpless Ali’s parents should be feeling right now.

You are the only one with this power to stop their pain. I am sure your experience and your good heart would be able to change the father of victim’s mind and your wise words would show him the path to forgiveness. 

Thank you for your understanding and compassion,

Sincerely,
Azarin Sadegh

His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
Leader of the Islamic Republic
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

October 16, 2007

Your Excellency,

As an officer of Hendrix College Amnesty International I am writing to express my deep concern over the imminent execution of Ali Mahin Torabi, who was convicted of murder as a child.
As a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, I hope that you will help uphold Iran’s obligation to prohibit the use of the death penalty for those convicted of crimes who are under the age of 18. As Leader of the Islamic Republic, I ask you to please halt and commute the death sentence of Ali Mahin Torabi immediately.
Additionally, I have learned that approximately 75 other child offenders are presently on death row in Iran. I hope that similar consideration will be given to those offenders.
Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
 

Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Head of the Judiciary
Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice Building,
Panzdah-Khordad Square,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
October 16, 2007
Your Excellency,

As an officer of Hendrix College Amnesty International I am writing to express my deep concern over the imminent execution of Ali Mahin Torabi, who was convicted of murder as a child.
As a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, I hope that you will help uphold Iran’s obligation to prohibit the use of the death penalty for those convicted of crimes who are under the age of 18. As Head of the Judiciary, I ask you to please halt and commute the death sentence of Ali Mahin Torabi immediately.
Additionally, I have been informed that approximately 75 other child offenders are presently on death row in Iran. I hope that similar consideration will be given to those offenders.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
 

His Excellency Gholamali Haddad Adel
Speaker of Parliament
Majles-e Shoura-ye Eslami
Baharestan Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
October 16, 2007

Your Excellency,
As an officer of Hendrix College Amnesty International I am writing to express my deep concern over the imminent execution of Ali Mahin Torabi, who was convicted of murder as a child.
As a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, I hope that you will help to uphold Iran’s obligation to prohibit the use of the death penalty for those convicted of crimes who are under the age of 18. As Speaker of Parliament, I ask you to do everything in your power to halt Ali Mahin Torabi’s execution and commute his sentence.
Additionally, I have been informed that approximately 75 other child offenders are presently on death row in Iran. I hope that similar consideration will be given to those offenders, and that Iran might pass legislation prohibiting the execution of child offenders, bringing Iranian law up to international standards.

Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,

Sign Amnesty International Petition to save Ali Mahin-Torabi from execution

Amnesty International UK has made a petition letter addressed to spiritual leader of Islamic regime in Iran to to help save Ali Mahin-Torabi from execution.

Please sign the pettition at the bottom of the page

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions_details.asp?ActionID=335

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European Union "deeply concerned" about Ali Mahin-Torabi

EUROPEAN UNION PRESS RELEASE
Published: Wednesday, 17 October, 2007

BRUSSELS: Shortly after the publication of the URGENT ACTION call by Amnesty International, the European Union also today voiced their “deep concern” over what it said was the possible imminent execution of Ali Mahin-Torabi convicted of murdering a fellow school pupil when he was 16 years old:



Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union concerning the execution sentence on Mr Ali Mahin Torabi

The EU is deeply concerned by the news of the imminent confirmation by H. E. Ayatollah Sharoudi, Chief of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, of the execution sentence on Mr Ali Mahin Torabi.

The EU recalls the Islamic Republic of Iran’s international commitments, namely the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, both clearly prohibiting the execution of minors or people who have been convicted of crimes committed while they were minors.

The EU reiterates its longstanding position against 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 EU urges the Islamic Republic of Iran to halt the sentence on Mr Torabi and to have the case reviewed by the appropriate instances taking into account all facts and witnesses, in compliance with both Islamic Republic of Iran’s domestic law and international obligations, namely articles 14, n. 1 and n. 2 on the right to a fair trial of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this declaration.

* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

Rue de la Loi 175 B – 1048 BRUSSELS Tel.: +32 (0)2 281 6319 Fax: +32 (0)2 281 8026
press.office@consilium.europa.eu http://www.consilium.europa.eu/Newsroom

13960/07 (Presse 240)

URGENT ACTION Call by Amnesty International for Ali Mahin-Torabi


Stop Child Executions Campaign has been working closely with Amnesty International in the past few weeks providing the information that was given to us by his attorney, Mohammad Mostafaei about Ali Mahin-Torabi, who is facing execution in Iran. As a result Amnesty International yesterday issued a worldwide URGENT ACTION report:

PUBLIC                                    

AI Index:  MDE 13/116/2007        UA 263/07              

Death penalty/ Fear of imminent execution    
16 October 2007

IRAN                      

Ali Mahin Torabi (m) aged 21           

Ali Mahin Torabi has been convicted of a murder committed when he was 16 years old. He is now at risk of imminent execution, even though Iran is a state party to international treaties including the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which expressly prohibit the execution of child offenders. Ali Mahin Torabi is held in Reja’i Shahr prison in Karaj, near Tehran. His death sentence could be carried out at any time.

On 3 February 2003, Ali Mahin Torabi was detained in connection with a playground fight at the Bani Hashemi High School. He reportedly fatally stabbed a schoolmate named Mazdak Khodadian, who died from loss of blood. The then 16 year-old Ali Mahin Torabi has repeatedly stated that he only realized that his schoolmate had been stabbed after he heard shouting from the crowds that had gathered during the schoolyard disturbance and that his blow was not intentional.

The lawyer for Ali Mahin Torabi has repeatedly drawn attention to the lack of clarity and doubts surrounding the events leading to the death of Mazdak Khodadian, noting for example that the coroner reported that the blow did not enter the victim in a direct manner; that it was not consistent with an intentional blow.

Branch 33 of the Public Court for the Investigation of Juvenile Crimes Offences in Karaj sentenced Ali Mahin Torabi to qesas (retribution) on 8 February 2003. On 8 June 2004 there were reports that Branch 27 of the Supreme Court had upheld the death sentence. However, new information later stated that the Head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi had ordered that the case be resolved through arbitration.  Furthermore, under Article 206 (b) of Iran’s Criminal Code, murder is classed as premeditated “in cases where the murderer intentionally makes an action which is inherently lethal, even if [the murderer] does not intend to kill the person.”

According to reports, Mazdak Khodadadian’s mother demanded payment of diyeh (blood money) in order to pardon Ali Mahin Torabi. However her husband is refusing this and is demanding that the execution be carried out. Failing to reach an agreement between all the blood relatives of the victim, in this case the parents, Ali Mahin Torabi remains at risk of execution.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

International law strictly prohibits the use of the death penalty against people convicted of crimes committed when they were under 18. As a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the CRC, Iran has undertaken not to execute child offenders. However, since 1990, Iran has executed at least 24 child offenders. At least 75 child offenders are currently on death row in Iran. This number may be even higher as according to yet unconfirmed reports at least a further 15 Afghan child offenders may be under death sentence.

For more information about Amnesty International’s concerns regarding executions of child offenders in Iran, please see Iran: The last executioner of children (MDE 13/059/2007, June 2007) http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde130592007

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Using your own words, please choose a few of the suggestions below to create a personal appeal  in Persian, Arabic or English:

– expressing concern that Ali Mahin Torabi is at risk of execution for a crime committed when he was under 18;
– calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately halt the execution of Ali Mahin Torabi;
– calling for the death sentence against Ali Mahin Torabi to be commuted;
– reminding the authorities that Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the
Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibit the use of the death penalty against people convicted of crimes committed when they were under 18, and that the execution of Ali Mahin Torabi would therefore be a violation of international law;
– urging the authorities to pass legislation to abolish the death penalty for offences committed by anyone under the age of 18, so as to bring Iran’s domestic law into line with its obligations under international law;
– stating that Amnesty International acknowledges the right and responsibility of governments to bring to justice those suspected of criminal offences, but unconditionally opposes the death penalty.

APPEALS TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic:
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, 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
Panzdah-Khordad Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email:  <mailto:info@dadgostary-tehran.ir> info@dadgostary-tehran.ir
(In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation:       Your Excellency

COPIES TO:

Mr Seyed Mahdi Mohebi
Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy for the Islamic Republic of Iran
245 Metcalfe Street
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2K2
Fax: (613) 232-5712

Speaker of Parliament:
His Excellency Gholamali Haddad Adel
Majles-e Shoura-ye Eslami
Baharestan Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email:             hadadadel@majlis.ir
Salutation:      Your Excellency

Please respond with immediate messages to protect Ali Mahin Torabi’s life.