Post by angelang38 on Jun 30, 2005 9:49:09 GMT -5
Iran: Man sentenced to have eyes gouged out
Vahid (surname unknown) has been sentenced to have his eyes surgically gouged out for a crime committed when he was 16 years old.
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal on 9 June, and ordered that the punishment should be carried out. It may now be inflicted at any time.
According to Iranian press reports, Vahid was convicted of deliberately pouring acid from a battery on the face of another youth, Gholam-Hossein, blinding him. This took place when Vahid had been working as a labourer in the capital, Tehran. Vahid reportedly maintained throughout his trial that the attack was not intentional and that he had only meant to threaten the youth with the battery during an argument, but the battery's lid had opened accidentally, causing the injury.
The trial court reportedly ordered that Vahid's eyes be sprayed with acid as retribution (qesas) for his actions. Vahid's lawyer appealed, arguing that the rest of his face would also be damaged from the acid. The appeal was reportedly rejected by a second court, which ruled instead that Vahid's eyes would be surgically gouged out in order not to damage his face.
Vahid's lawyer is reportedly seeking clemency for his client from Gholam-Hossein's family. Vahid has been asked to pay three billion Rials (US$300,000) as diyeh (blood-money) to escape the punishment, but he has reportedly said that he does not have that much money.
Background
Under Article 1210(1) of Iran's Civil Code, the age of criminal responsibility is set at 15 years for boys and nine years for girls. Iran is a state party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits torture or other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment.
However, people convicted of crimes committed while they were under 18 may be subjected to corporal punishment, both under Iran's definition of the age of criminal responsibility and under Note 2 of article 49 of the Penal Code, which provides for "bodily punishment" of children.
Take action
Please write a letter to the Iranian authorities:
expressing grave concern at reports that Vahid's sentence to have his eyes surgically removed as a punishment has been upheld by the Supreme Court;
stating that while you recognize the right of governments to bring to justice those suspected of criminal offences, you oppose punishments which constitute cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, amounting to torture;
expressing concern that this surgery would be contrary to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and to the UN Principles of Medical Ethics and the World Medical Association's Declarations of Geneva and Tokyo;
urging the authorities to abolish punishments such as eye-gouging which constitute cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, amounting to torture
Please send your letters to:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei
The Presidency, Palestine Avenue Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 00 98 21 649 5880
Please mark 'For the attention of the Office of His Excellency, Ayatollah al Udhma Khamenei
Email: info@wilayah.org
Salutation: Your Excellency
site help
NOW I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY IVE BEEN AN AVID CAMPAIGNER FOR ALMOST 12 YEARS THIS STORY IS BEYOND BELIEF I THGHT THAT LETHAL INJECTION,ELECTROCUTION,HANGING,AND GASSING WERE CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT BUT THIS IS BEYOND BELIEF IM SHOCKED FOR WORDS
ANGELA
Vahid (surname unknown) has been sentenced to have his eyes surgically gouged out for a crime committed when he was 16 years old.
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal on 9 June, and ordered that the punishment should be carried out. It may now be inflicted at any time.
According to Iranian press reports, Vahid was convicted of deliberately pouring acid from a battery on the face of another youth, Gholam-Hossein, blinding him. This took place when Vahid had been working as a labourer in the capital, Tehran. Vahid reportedly maintained throughout his trial that the attack was not intentional and that he had only meant to threaten the youth with the battery during an argument, but the battery's lid had opened accidentally, causing the injury.
The trial court reportedly ordered that Vahid's eyes be sprayed with acid as retribution (qesas) for his actions. Vahid's lawyer appealed, arguing that the rest of his face would also be damaged from the acid. The appeal was reportedly rejected by a second court, which ruled instead that Vahid's eyes would be surgically gouged out in order not to damage his face.
Vahid's lawyer is reportedly seeking clemency for his client from Gholam-Hossein's family. Vahid has been asked to pay three billion Rials (US$300,000) as diyeh (blood-money) to escape the punishment, but he has reportedly said that he does not have that much money.
Background
Under Article 1210(1) of Iran's Civil Code, the age of criminal responsibility is set at 15 years for boys and nine years for girls. Iran is a state party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits torture or other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment.
However, people convicted of crimes committed while they were under 18 may be subjected to corporal punishment, both under Iran's definition of the age of criminal responsibility and under Note 2 of article 49 of the Penal Code, which provides for "bodily punishment" of children.
Take action
Please write a letter to the Iranian authorities:
expressing grave concern at reports that Vahid's sentence to have his eyes surgically removed as a punishment has been upheld by the Supreme Court;
stating that while you recognize the right of governments to bring to justice those suspected of criminal offences, you oppose punishments which constitute cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, amounting to torture;
expressing concern that this surgery would be contrary to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and to the UN Principles of Medical Ethics and the World Medical Association's Declarations of Geneva and Tokyo;
urging the authorities to abolish punishments such as eye-gouging which constitute cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, amounting to torture
Please send your letters to:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei
The Presidency, Palestine Avenue Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 00 98 21 649 5880
Please mark 'For the attention of the Office of His Excellency, Ayatollah al Udhma Khamenei
Email: info@wilayah.org
Salutation: Your Excellency
site help
NOW I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY IVE BEEN AN AVID CAMPAIGNER FOR ALMOST 12 YEARS THIS STORY IS BEYOND BELIEF I THGHT THAT LETHAL INJECTION,ELECTROCUTION,HANGING,AND GASSING WERE CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT BUT THIS IS BEYOND BELIEF IM SHOCKED FOR WORDS
ANGELA