PARIS: Iran on Wednesday hanged a girl convicted of murdering her husband, whom she married whereas nonetheless a baby, defying a world marketing campaign for clemency, rights groups mentioned.
Samira Sabzian, who had been in jail for the previous decade, was executed at daybreak in Ghezel Hesar jail within the Tehran satellite tv for pc metropolis of Karaj, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) group mentioned.
Her execution comes as concern grows over the numbers of individuals this 12 months executed by Iran, the place a whole lot of individuals have been hanged primarily on medicine and murder prices, together with greater than a dozen ladies.
IHR mentioned Sabzian was a “youngster bride” who had married her husband on the age of 15 and had been a sufferer of home violence, in accordance with family members.
The Hengaw rights group additionally confirmed the execution of the lady, now believed to be in her late 20s or early 30s, saying that she was initially from town of Khorramabad within the western Lorestan province.
Amnesty International mentioned it was “horrified” by the reviews of the “chilling execution”, saying the mom of two was “subjected to a compelled and early marriage as a baby”.
The workplace of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights mentioned it was “alarmed” by the execution, saying Sabzian had been compelled to marry her husband whereas aged 15.
“We once more urge Iran to determine a moratorium on all executions with a view to abolishing dying penalty,“ it added.
The execution has to this point not been reported by media inside Iran.
– ‘Killing machine’ –
Sabzian was arrested round a decade in the past when she was aged 19 on prices of murdering her husband after which subsequently sentenced to dying, IHR mentioned.
She had two youngsters who she had not seen after her arrest till a remaining assembly in jail earlier this month, IHR mentioned.
“Samira was a sufferer of years of gender apartheid, youngster marriage and home violence, and as we speak she fell sufferer to the incompetent and corrupt regime’s killing machine,“ mentioned IHR director Mahmood-Amiry Moghaddam.
Rights groups have raised alarm over a surge in executions in Iran this 12 months, with not less than 115 individuals put to dying in November alone in accordance with Amnesty International.
“The worldwide group should urgently name on Iran’s authorities to right away set up an official moratorium on executions,“ Amnesty mentioned.
The British authorities had known as on Iran to spare Sabzian’s life.
“Samira is a sufferer of youngster marriage… Iran should stop its appalling therapy of ladies and ladies,“ junior overseas minister Tariq Ahmad mentioned on X, previously Twitter, late Tuesday.
According to IHR, 18 ladies have now been executed in Iran this 12 months, together with Samira Sabzian.
Rights groups have repeatedly mentioned Iran’s sharia-based murder legal guidelines — primarily based on a precept of “qesas” (retribution in type) — fail to have in mind doubtlessly mitigating components resembling abuse or home violence in such circumstances.
Iran has executed eight males in circumstances associated to the protests that erupted in September 2022 however rights groups argue that the surge in hangings on all prices is geared toward instilling concern within the wider inhabitants.
According to IHR, Iran executed 582 individuals in 2022 however this 12 months’s complete is predicted to be considerably increased. –eNM
