[Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

IRAN:


        URGENT ACTION APPEAL
        - From Amnesty International USA


        17 December 2007

        UA 334/07    Imminent execution

        IRAN           Raheleh Zamani (f), aged 27

        Raheleh Zamani, a mother of two children aged five and
        three, is facing imminent execution for the killing of her
        husband. According to reports received by Amnesty
        International, she is due to be hanged on 20 December. Her
        husband's family has refused to accept diyeh (blood money),
        and are insisting on the implementation of the sentence. At
        this stage, the Head of the Judiciary has the power to
        temporarily suspend executions and order a review of a case.

        Raheleh Zamani was sentenced to qesas-e nafs (retribution in
        kind) in October 2005 for the murder earlier the same year
        of her husband, Mohammad Zamani, whom she alleged was having
        an extra-marital affair. Raheleh Zamani reportedly said in
        her defense that she was threatened with violence by her
        husband each time she asked him to end his affair. She said
        that she had never meant to kill her husband, but just
        wanted to ''teach him a lesson''. A month and a half prior
        to the murder, Raheleh Zamani had given birth to her second
        child, a son. She may have been suffering from severe post-
        natal depression.

        Raheleh Zamani is said to have told the court that on the
        day of the incident, she arrived home and found her husband
        with another woman. She then confronted her husband but he
        began beating her and threw her out of the house. When
        Raheleh Zamani returned home a few hours later, Mohammad
        Zamani refused to apologize for his actions and threatened
        to kill her if she said anything to anyone about his extra-
        marital relationships. When her husband went for a nap,
        Raheleh Zamani killed him.

        BACKGROUND INFORMATION
        In the Iranian Penal Code murder is punishable by qesas-e
        nafs, or death. Murder by someone with diminished
        responsibility may be punishable by the payment of diyeh, a
        form of compensation. In cases of pre-meditated murder, the
        family of the victim has the right to ask for their
        relative's killer to be put to death. The family can also
        choose to forgive the culprit and accept payment of diyeh
        instead.

        Also in the Iranian legal system, there is a distinction
        between cases where the penalty is "execution" (hokm-e
        'edam) and qesas, although people sentenced to qesas are
        often reported in the media to have been sentenced to death.
        In Iranian law, murder is treated as a private dispute
        between two civil parties -- the state's role is to
        facilitate the resolution of the dispute through the
        judicial process. In this sense, the death penalty is
        regarded as being imposed by the state, whereas qesas is
        imposed by the family of the victim. As a result, sentences
        of qesas are not open to pardon or amnesty by the Supreme
        Leader, whereas most other death sentences can be reversed
        by the Supreme Leader. This is in contravention of Article 6
        (4) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
        Rights, to which Iran is a state party, which says that in
        the eyes of international law, Iran remains fully
        responsible for respecting and protecting the rights of
        those under its jurisdiction, irrespective of the role that
        private parties may play in the administration of justice.

        Executions in Iran have increased sharply in 2007,
        particularly in the wake of a crackdown on "social vices"
        which was announced in April and has continued to date.
        Amnesty International has recorded over 300 executions to
        date, some of which have been in public, including some
        multiple hangings. Executions of women are rare: five have
        been recorded so far this year.

        RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly
        as possible:
        - calling for an immediate halt to the scheduled execution
        of Raheleh Zamani on 20 December;
        - calling for Raheleh Zamani's death sentence to be
        commuted;
        - stating that you recognize that governments have a right
        and a duty to bring to justice those suspected of criminal
        offenses, but stating your unconditional opposition to the
        death penalty, as the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading
        punishment and violation of the right to life;
        - asking for details of her trial and any appeals, including
        how the judge determined that she had committed pre-
        meditated murder;
        - urging the Iranian authorities to bring Iranian
        legislation into line with their international human rights
        obligations, so that people sentenced to death for murder
        have the right to seek pardon or commutation of their
        sentence from the state.

        APPEALS TO:
        Leader of the Islamic Republic
        His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei
        The Office of the Supreme Leader, Islamic Republic Street -
        Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
        Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
        Email: info at leader.ir
        Salutation: Your Excellency

        Head of the Judiciary
        Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
        Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the
        Judiciary
        Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri,
        Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
        Email: info at dadgostary-tehran.ir
        (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
        Salutation: Your Excellency

        COPIES TO:
        President
        His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
        The Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection,
        Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
        Email: dr-ahmadinejad at president.ir
        via website: www.president.ir/email

        Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran
        His Excellency Mohammad Javad Larijani
        Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh
        (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
        Pasteur St.,
        Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri,
        Tehran 1316814737
        Fax: 011 98 21 3390 4986 (please keep trying)
        Email: fsharafi at bia-judiciary.ir (In the subject line:
        FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)
        int_aff at judiciary.ir (In the subject line: FAO
        Mohammad Javad Larijani)

        Iran does not presently have an embassy in the United
        States. Instead, please send copies to:

        Iranian Interests Section
        2209 Wisconsin Ave NW
        Washington DC 20007
        Phone: 202 965 4990
        Fax: 1 202 965 1073
        Email: requests at daftar.org

        PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.

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        Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement
        that promotes and defends human rights.

        This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact, including
        contact information and stop action date (if applicable).
        Thank you for your help with this appeal.

        Urgent Action Network
        Amnesty International USA
        600 Pennsylvania Ave SE 5th fl
        Washington DC 20003
        Email: uan at aiusa.org
        http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
        Phone: 202.544.0200
        Fax: 202.675.8566

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        END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
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