Iran: Six men at imminent risk of having their fingers amputated
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Iran: Six men at imminent risk of having their fingers amputated following unfair trials and torture
Amnesty International | December 3, 2020
The Iranian authorities must immediately halt imminent plans to amputate the fingers of six men convicted of robbery following unfair trials and torture-tainted “confessions”, said Amnesty International in a detailed analysis released today.
The analysis reveals horrific figures, provided to the organization by a human rights group, Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, that over the past two decades, on average, the Iranian authorities have amputated the fingers of at least one person every two months and flogged at least two people every week.
The Iranian authorities are yet again readying their tools of torture to deliberately mutilate and traumatize people through unspeakably cruel corporal punishments.
Diana Eltahawy
Amnesty International has learned that prosecution authorities and prison officials in Urumieh, West Azerbaijan province, are preparing to bring a guillotine to Urumieh prison to amputate the fingers of up to six men – Hadi Rostami, Mehdi Sharfian, Mehdi Shahivand, Kasra Karami, Shahab Teimouri Ayeneh and Mehrdad Teimouri Ayneh.
“The Iranian authorities are yet again readying their tools of torture to deliberately mutilate and traumatize people through unspeakably cruel corporal punishments,” said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa
“Amputation is judicially-sanctioned torture, and a serious crime under international law. We call on the Iranian authorities to immediately quash the amputation sentences, abolish all forms of corporal punishment, and grant effective remedies to victims.”
All six men were sentenced, following grossly unfair trials, to “have four fingers on their right hands completely cut off”, as stipulated for certain types of robbery under Iran’s Islamic Penal Code. The men were all denied access to lawyers during the investigation phase of their cases, and courts relied on torture-tainted “confessions” to secure convictions.
Amnesty International urges the international community, including the EU, its member states and UN human rights bodies, to urgently intervene to stop the Iranian authorities from amputating the fingers of these six men.
Diana Eltahawy
Concerns that their sentences will be carried out imminently come days after the prosecution authorities in Tehran flogged a labour rights activist, Davoud Rafiee, 74 times on his back on 23 November 2020 for “insulting” the minister of labour.
“Amnesty International urges the international community, including the EU, its member states and UN human rights bodies, to urgently intervene to stop the Iranian authorities from amputating the fingers of these six men,” Diana Eltahawy said.
“The judicial, prosecution and prison officials responsible for ordering and carrying out such acts of torture must be brought to justice in fair trials.”
