Okeil: We call on the United Nations to pressure Iran to allow the entry of a UN investigation mission

Yasser Jamal: Iran ranks second in the implementation of the death penalty in the world and is expanding its use

Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations Special Procedures regarding the death sentences issued against 19 demonstrators in connection with the protests in Iran. The appeal called for immediate interference to put pressure on the Iranian government to stop the execution of the death sentences issued against the 19 demonstrators, oblige it to abide by the United Nations rules for the treatment of prisoners and to provide adequate health care for all detainees.

Maat addressed in its appeal the execution cases that were issued against 19 demonstrators and detainees in connection with the protests that erupted after the death of the Iranian young woman, "Mahsa Amini".

On December 12, 2022, Maat viewed a testimony from Hamid Qara Sinlu's brother indicating that his brother was severely beaten and tortured during his arrest and detention, where 5 ribs were broken and he did not receive any medical care even before the trial.

Maat also reviewed the testimonies of a number of released detainees, including Abbas Al-Mansouri, who took his life only one week after his release, and one of his relatives confirmed that Al-Mansouri had informed them that he had received pills and an injection two days before his release, and confirmed that he was subjected to torture.

Maat confirmed that the deliberate attack on demonstrators and public executions are part of a widespread and systematic campaign aimed at intimidating the Iranian people and preventing them from protesting the economic, political and social situation in Iran.

For his part, Ayman OKeil, an international human rights expert and president of Maat, expressed his concern about the lives of individuals sentenced to death who are threatened with losing their lives at any moment as a result of unfair trials, as well as the safety of those arbitrarily imprisoned sentenced to prolonged imprisonment, flogging, or execution because of their participation in the protests.

The human rights expert demanded mandate holders to put pressure on the Iranian government to allow the UN investigation mechanism enter Iran and communicate with the victims of the recent demonstrations to find out those responsible for them and hold them accountable, and to open an independent UN investigation into the death of the young woman, Mahsa Amini, and to hold those involved in this crime accountable.

Yasser Jamal, a researcher at the International Mechanisms Unit at Maat, indicated that Iran ranks second in the world after China in the implementation of the death penalty, stressing that the Iranian authorities are expanding the use of the death penalty in contradiction with Article (3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and with Article (6) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).