By Brian Booker Jun 9, 2015 in World
The National Council of Resistance of Iran claims that the Iranian government is preparing to execute at least 45 prisoners in the coming days. At least 35 people were executed on Monday, with more likely to be hanged in the gallows over the coming days.
Those due to be executed include Afghani and Pakistani citizens, as well as Iranian. At least three of those executed were women.
Yesterday's executions coincided with a visit by a European Parliament delegation. Many of those executed were executed for drug-related crimes. Iran is a major drug trafficking route, especially for heroin originating from nearby Afghanistan. A large portion of the smuggled drugs ultimately end up in Europe.
According to NCRI, a parliament in exile, executions in Iran have been increasing in recent weeks. NCRI alleges that at least some of the death sentences have been politically motivated, with dissidents being charged with the crime “enmity against God”.
This vaguely defined charge, called Moharebeh in Persian, is supposed to be limited to persecuting prisoners who have been convicted in taking up arms, or supporting armed revolution against the government.
Critics claim, however, that the Iranian government frequently using the criminal charge to persecute people who have engaged in no armed conflict and are not linked to any armed groups.
For example, following the largely peaceful 2009 Green Revolution in Iran, the government charged several protesters with moharebeh, even though the most serious crimes committed were the throwing stones and breaking windows. What would be a misdemeanor in most countries, resulted in a death sentence for at least 11 protesters, a punishment that has been upheld by Iran's highest courts.
Some Iranian legal experts argue, however, that such disproportionate punishment is out of line with both Iran's legal system, and Sharia law.
Protests have simmered since the 2009 Green Revolution, likely due to the government's harsh crackdown on dissidents. At least 80 people were killed during the protests, which were sparked by alleged election fraud after former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won 60 percent of the vote amid widespread voting irregularities.
Despite the election of perceived moderate Hassan Rouhani in 2013, the cleric-led government appears to be increasing efforts to stifle any protests or dissent. While Rouhani has promised to increase personal freedoms, hardliners within the government have successfully pushed through increased restrictions on social media, and arrests over political dissent continue.
Last November, six Iranians were arrested for making a music video for Pharrell Williams song “Happy”. The video showed the men and women dancing together, and the women were not wearing the required Islamic dress for being in public. The young men and women were sentenced to one year in jail and 91 lashes. The jail terms have been suspended barring any further violations.
According to Amnesty International, Iran trails only China in regards to the number of people executed per year.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/iran-executions-ramping-up-ahead-of-european-delegation-visit/article/435355#ixzz3cl3qg1Ul
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment