Abdorrahman Boroumand Center

for Human Rights in Iran

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

Flogging, 5 Individuals, Esfahan, Jomhuri Eslami, April 8, 2002

Jomhuri Eslami
April 8, 2002
Newspaper article

Jomhuri Eslami Newspaper

Archive/CD

April 8, 2002

Various

Execution of the Leader of an Armed Robbery Gang in Esfahan

ESFAHAN-Jomhuri Eslami Correspondent: Members of an armed robbery gang in Esfahan were flogged.

The flogging sentence against five members of an armed robbery gang was implemented in Toqchi Square, Esfahan, with the presence of large gathering of Esfahanis.  

Their names are:

Mohammad Abdollahi

Ahmad Maleki

Ali Reza Baqer Hadad

Majid Alikhani

Mostafa Baduri

They were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in addition to 74 lashes in public for the crimes of creating an armed robbery gang, beatings, rape, and multiple cases of theft. 

At the ceremony of implementation of the Divine sentence against these evil and corrupt individuals, which was held after they were made to walk around the streets of Esfahan, the God fearing people of the city of Esfahan acclaimed the timely actions of the judicial system and police force in dealing with evil and corrupt theives and disruptors of public order and security with shouts of Allahu Akbar.

It should be mentioned that the leader of this gang, Rasul Chatra'i, who was sentenced to be executed in public for the crimes of armed robbery, and the murder of two people with a Kalashnikov, a weapon of war, was hanged yesterday in Esfahan's Artesh square. 

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."