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Human Rights Commissioner Kofler on the execution of two 17 year old minors in Iran
Bärbel Kofler, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, issued the following statement today (3 May) in response to reports about the execution on 25 April 2019 of the young Iranians Mehdi Sohrabifar and Amin Sedaghat:
I am deeply shocked by the execution of the Iranian minors Mehdi Sohrabifar and Amin Sedaghat. At the time of their execution, Mehdi Sohrabifar and Amin Sedaghat were only 17 years old.
The German Government opposes the death penalty, whatever the circumstances.
Iran has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which prohibit the execution of individuals who were minors at the time of the offence.
These executions in Iran must stop. I urgently appeal to all those responsible in Iran to completely stop handing down death sentences and immediately suspend their execution.
Background information:
The cousins Mehdi Sohrabifar and Amin Sedaghat, who were 17 at the time of their execution, were arrested in 2017 at the age of 15. According to reports, they had been convicted on rape and robbery charges and sentenced to death without having had access to legal representation. They were reportedly notified of their execution only shortly beforehand, and their families were unaware that they were to be executed. What is more, they were reportedly flogged before being put to death.