Abdorrahman Boroumand Center

for Human Rights in Iran

https://www.iranrights.org
Promoting tolerance and justice through knowledge and understanding
Flogging

Flogging, Ahmad Ali Saharkhiz, Esmail Zoqi, Langrud, Kayhan, June 17, 1979

Kayhan
June 17, 1979
Newspaper article

Kayhan Newspaper

Archive/Scan

June 17, 1979

Domestic News/Page 4

At the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Langrud

Three Individuals Sentenced

LANGRUD-Kayhan Correspondent: The first session of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Langrud was held last Thursday and Friday (June 14 and 15) in the city's scout hall with the presence of thousands of male and female spectators. 

The Court adjudicated the cases of five agents of the former regime. After hearing the complaints and the accused's defense, it announced its verdicts as follows:

Sergeant First Class Ahmad Ali Saharkhiz, former police officer, native of Rasht, resident of Langrud, warrior (mohareb) against God, His Prophet, and the Imam, convicted of the crime of struggling against the youth and bringing cases against them, was convicted with 17 complaints against him. The aformentioned person is one of the corrupt on Earth, but because of his age, his sentence was given a one-degree reduction to ta'ziri life imprisonment and 150 lashes, and his pension was allowed to be given to his family. The sentence was implemented in public.

Esmail Zoqi, from Shalman, with a club and rifle in his hands, dispersed the demonstrators struggling in Shalman with his hunting rifle, and he shot at them and one person was wounded during the shooting. He was sentenced to one and a half years imprisonment and 80 lashes. The sentence was implemented in public.

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ABF Note

 

Findings of guilt in the Islamic Republic of Iran's Judicial Proceedings

The Islamic Republic of Iran's criminal justice system regularly falls short of the standards for due process necessary for impartiality, fairness, and efficacy. Suspects are often held incommunicado and not told of the reason for their detainment. Defendants are frequently prohibited from examining the evidence used against them. Defendants are sometimes prohibited from having their lawyers present in court. Additionally, confessions, made under duress or torture, are commonly admitted as proof of guilt. Because Iran's courts regularly disregard principles essential to the proper administration of justice, findings of guilt may not be evaluated with certainty.

Corporal Punishment: the Legal context in the Islamic Republic of Iran

The Islamic Republic's criminal code recognizes corporal punishment for a wide range of offenses: consumption of alcohol, theft, adultery, "flouting" of public morals, and mixing of the sexes in public. Judges have the latitude to mete out corporal punishment for those sentenced to death. In such cases, the flogging is carried out before death to maximize the suffering of defendant. Aside from flogging, the Islamic Republic also employs amputations as a punishment for theft. In such cases, the defendant is taken to a hospital and put under anesthesia as his hand or foot is amputated. In some cases the left foot and right hand are cut off, making it difficult for the condemned to walk, even with the assistance of a cane or crutches.

The Islamic Republic's Systematic Violation of its International Obligations under International Law

The use of corporal punishment is contrary to international law and is addressed in several international agreements. Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which Iran has ratified, states that, "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." Identical language is also used in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Iran is also a party to. The strongest expression of international disapproval is contained in the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT). This treaty defines torture as, "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as ... punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed." Although the Islamic Republic of Iran has yet to sign the CAT, the prohibition on torture is now considered jus cogens and, therefore, part of customary international law. Furthermore, even though the norm against corporal punishment is not yet a jus cogens, there is increasing evidence that it is illegal under international human rights law.[1] In Osbourne v. Jamaica, the Committee Against Torture (a body of experts responsible for monitoring compliance with the Convention) held that "corporal punishment constitutes cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment contrary to Article 7 of the Convention." The Islamic Republic of Iran's systematic violations of its obligations under international law have been addressed by the UN General Assembly multiple times, most recently in December 2007. In Resolution 62/168, the UN expressed deep concern with Iran's continued flouting of international human rights law, particularly, "confirmed instances of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including flogging and amputations."