{"id":4871028,"date":"2009-04-29T23:43:10","date_gmt":"2009-04-29T13:43:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/?p=4871028"},"modified":"2023-04-13T04:59:56","modified_gmt":"2023-04-13T04:59:56","slug":"prominent-religious-leaders-and-lawyers-in-iran-call-for-an-end-to-child-executions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/2009\/04\/29\/prominent-religious-leaders-and-lawyers-in-iran-call-for-an-end-to-child-executions\/","title":{"rendered":"Prominent religious leaders and lawyers in Iran call for an end to child executions"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal\"><span style=\"COLOR: #444444; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'\">&#160;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"COLOR: #444444; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'\"><strong><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Statement of a Group of Islamic Jurists, Lawyers and Social and Political Activists in Opposition to the Execution of Juveniles<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = \"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office\" \/?><br \/>\n<\/font><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">&#160;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">A group of Islamic jurists, lawyers, and social and political activists have issued a statement expressing their opposition to the death penalty for juvenile offenders. The Petition has been signed by the following individuals:<br \/><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Mohammad Bastenegar, Religious Intellectual;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Rakhshan BaniEtemad, Filmmaker;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Jafar Panahi, Filmmaker;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Habibollah Peyman, Religious Intellectual; <span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#160;<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Gholamabbas Tavasoli, Sociologist;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Hojat-ol-Islam Mohammad Javad Hojati Kermani, Islamic Jurist and Scholar (Mojtahed);<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Ezzat \u2013ollah Sahabi, Religious Intellectual;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Ahmad Sadr Haj Seyyed Javadi, Lawyer;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Ali Asghar Gharavi, PhD in Philosophy;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Azam Taleghani, Religious Intellectual;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Shirin Ebadi, Lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize Recipient;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Hojat-ol-Islam Mohammad Taghi Fazel Maybodi, Islamic Jurist;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Nasser Katouzian, Lawyer and University Professor;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Hojat-ol-Islam Mehdi Karoubi, Islamic Jurist;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari, Islamic Jurist and Scholar (Mojtahed);<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Sadighe Vasmeghi, PhD in Islamic Jurisprudence;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Ebrahim Yazdi, Religious Intellectual; and<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal\"><span style=\"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: FA; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US\"><font color=\"#000000\">Hassan Yousefi Eshkevari, Islamic Jurist and lawyer<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal\"><span style=\"COLOR: #444444; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'\">&#160;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"COLOR: #444444; FONT-FAMILY: 'Segoe UI','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">Based on the religious teachings, this communiqu\u00e9 emphasizes on endowing children, less than 18 years of age, who commit social wrongs the opportunity of moral rehabilitation. Also, the society of human rights defenders in a similar communiqu\u00e9, titled: \u201cStop Death Penalty for Children\u201d started its operation aimed at stopping issuance and execution of death penalty for children less than 18 years of age. According to \u201cChildren\u2019s Rights Defenders\u201d site the communiqu\u00e9, issued on Ordibehesht 6th, 1388 (Iranian Calendar) corresponding April 26, 2009. is as follows:<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font face=\"Times New Roman\" color=\"#000000\">&#160;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><font color=\"#000000\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#160;<\/span><\/span>In the Name of God<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><font face=\"Times New Roman\" color=\"#000000\">All religions and all legal disciplines view children to be exempt from punishments intended for adults.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#160;<\/span> As such, they have provided children an opportunity to comprehend the blessing of life, benefit from education and discipline and learn about best interests and that which is harmful.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#160;<\/span> As such, contemporary international customs and norms views the enforcement of punishments, especially the harshest of punishments namely the death penalty, for individuals under the age of 18, as unacceptable.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#160;<\/span> The laws of many countries as well as the perspectives of many Iranian experts reinforce these customs.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#160;<\/span> When the Holy Qoran invites us to forgive even those who have intentionally committed murder, then without a doubt Islam consents to our taking steps to bestow the blessings of life on those individuals who are under the age of 18 and who have yet to understand life\u2019s riches and vices.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#160;<\/span> Given that the religious decrees issued in this regard can be revised and that the protection of life is logical and also constitutes one of the most important principles of all religions and given the fact that Iran has rightly agreed to international customs through its ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, we strongly demand that death penalty not be issued or implemented in cases where individuals under the age of 18 have committed a crime and we seek the reform of existing laws in this respect.<\/font><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal\">&#160;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal\"><span style=\"COLOR: #444444; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'\">&#160;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"COLOR: #444444; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'\"><strong><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Statement of a Group of Islamic Jurists, Lawyers and Social and Political Activists in Opposition to the Execution of Juveniles<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = \"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office\" \/?><br \/>\n<\/font><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">&#160;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">A group of Islamic jurists, lawyers, and social and political activists have issued a statement expressing their opposition to the death penalty for juvenile offenders. The Petition has been signed by the following individuals:<br \/><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Mohammad Bastenegar, Religious Intellectual;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Rakhshan BaniEtemad, Filmmaker;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Jafar Panahi, Filmmaker;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Habibollah Peyman, Religious Intellectual; <span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#160;<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Gholamabbas Tavasoli, Sociologist;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Hojat-ol-Islam Mohammad Javad Hojati Kermani, Islamic Jurist and Scholar (Mojtahed);<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Ezzat \u2013ollah Sahabi, Religious Intellectual;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Ahmad Sadr Haj Seyyed Javadi, Lawyer;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Ali Asghar Gharavi, PhD in Philosophy;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Azam Taleghani, Religious Intellectual;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Shirin Ebadi, Lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize Recipient;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Hojat-ol-Islam Mohammad Taghi Fazel Maybodi, Islamic Jurist;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Nasser Katouzian, Lawyer and University Professor;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Hojat-ol-Islam Mehdi Karoubi, Islamic Jurist;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari, Islamic Jurist and Scholar (Mojtahed);<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Sadighe Vasmeghi, PhD in Islamic Jurisprudence;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\">Dr. Ebrahim Yazdi, Religious Intellectual; and<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal\"><span style=\"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: FA; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US\"><font color=\"#000000\">Hassan Yousefi Eshkevari, Islamic Jurist and lawyer<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal\"><span style=\"COLOR: #444444; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'\">&#160;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"COLOR: #444444; FONT-FAMILY: 'Segoe UI','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font color=\"#000000\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">Based on the religious teachings, this communiqu\u00e9 emphasizes on endowing children, less than 18 years of age, who commit social wrongs the opportunity of moral rehabilitation. Also, the society of human rights defenders in a similar communiqu\u00e9, titled: \u201cStop Death Penalty for Children\u201d started its operation aimed at stopping issuance and execution of death penalty for children less than 18 years of age. According to \u201cChildren\u2019s Rights Defenders\u201d site the communiqu\u00e9, issued on Ordibehesht 6th, 1388 (Iranian Calendar) corresponding April 26, 2009. is as follows:<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><font face=\"Times New Roman\" color=\"#000000\">&#160;<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><font color=\"#000000\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-language: FA\"><span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#160;<\/span><\/span>In the Name of God<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><font face=\"Times New Roman\" color=\"#000000\">All religions and all legal disciplines view children to be exempt from punishments intended for adults.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#160;<\/span> As such, they have provided children an opportunity to comprehend the blessing of life, benefit from education and discipline and learn about best interests and that which is harmful.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#160;<\/span> As such, contemporary international customs and norms views the enforcement of punishments, especially the harshest of punishments namely the death penalty, for individuals under the age of 18, as unacceptable.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#160;<\/span> The laws of many countries as well as the perspectives of many Iranian experts reinforce these customs.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#160;<\/span> When the Holy Qoran invites us to forgive even those who have intentionally committed murder, then without a doubt Islam consents to our taking steps to bestow the blessings of life on those individuals who are under the age of 18 and who have yet to understand life\u2019s riches and vices.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#160;<\/span> Given that the religious decrees issued in this regard can be revised and that the protection of life is logical and also constitutes one of the most important principles of all religions and given the fact that Iran has rightly agreed to international customs through its ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, we strongly demand that death penalty not be issued or implemented in cases where individuals under the age of 18 have committed a crime and we seek the reform of existing laws in this respect.<\/font><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal\">&#160;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[20],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4871028"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4871028"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4871028\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5195547,"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4871028\/revisions\/5195547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4871028"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4871028"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4871028"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}