Special Rapporteur Christof Heyns. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré

 An independent United Nations human rights expert today urged the Indonesian Government to restrict the use of the death penalty, following the recent reported execution of a man convicted on drug charges.

“I deeply regret that Indonesia executed Mr. Adami Wilson despite appeals by UN human rights experts and civil society organisations not to carry out executions for drug-related offences,” said Christof Heyns, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions.

According to reports, Mr. Wilson was executed by firing squad in the capital, Jakarta, on 14 March 2013 – the first execution in the country since November 2008.

After the execution, Indonesia’s Attorney General announced that 20 prisoners convicted and sentenced to death will be executed later this year, stated a news release issued by the UN human rights office (OHCHR). Reportedly, around 130 people are believed to be on death row in Indonesia and more than half of them have been convicted of drug-related offences.

“Such a practice is unacceptable,” Mr. Heyns stressed. “Under international law, the death penalty is regarded as an extreme form of punishment which, if it is used at all, should only be imposed for the most serious crimes, that is, those involving intentional killing, and only after a fair trial.”

He reiterated that “any death sentence undertaken in contravention of a State’s international human rights obligations is tantamount to an arbitrary execution, and is unlawful.”

Noting that the death penalty is under review by national courts and that a public debate on the issue is ongoing in Indonesia, Mr. Heyns said he hoped that the Government will consider a moratorium on executions.

Women shout slogans as Iranian-American demonstrators take part in a protest outside U.N. headquarters in New York March 21, 2013. Iranian-American protesters from across the United States held a rally outside the U.N. headquarters demanding for the guarantee of safety and security of all the refugees at Camp Liberty in Iraq. REUTERS

 A woman shouts slogans as Iranian-American demonstrators take part in a protest outside U.N. headquarters in New York March 21, 2013. Iranian-American protesters from across the United States held a rally outside the U.N. headquarters demanding for the guarantee of safety and security of all the refugees at Camp Liberty in Iraq. REUTERS

Tahar Boumedra, a former U.N. staff member who resigned to protest what he claims to be U.N. misconduct, delivers a speech to Iranian-American protesters as they take part in a protest outside U.N. headquarters in New York March 21, 2013. Iranian-American protesters from across the United States held a rally outside the U.N. headquarters demanding for the guarantee of safety and security of all the refugees at Camp Liberty in Iraq. REUTERS

Former U.S. Congressman Patrick Kennedy, son of the late U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, delivers a speech to Iranian-American protesters as they take part in a protest outside U.N. headquarters in New York March 21, 2013. Iranian-American protesters from across the United States held a rally outside the U.N. headquarters demanding for the guarantee of safety and security of all the refugees at Camp Liberty in Iraq. REUTERS

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE13/014/2013/en/568e6b7f-af31-44dc-a223-7bf6eba88de7/mde130142013en.pdf

Five Iranian Ahwazi Arab men have launched a hunger strike in protest at the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold their death sentences and their treatment in prison, including torture and other ill-treatment and the authorities’ refusal to allow them medical care.

The five men from Iran’s Ahwazi Arab minority –Mohammad Ali Amouri, Sayed Jaber Alboshoka , his brother  Sayed Mokhtar Alboshoka, and teachers Hashem Sha’bani Amouri and Hadi Rashidi (or Rashedi) – whose death sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court on 9 January 2013 began a “dry” hunger strike (refusing water as well as food) on 2 March 2013 in protest at the decision. Their hunger strike is also in protest against their torture and other ill-treatment in Karoun Prison and the prison authorities’ refusal to grant them medical treatment for various ailments including some which may have resulted from earlier torture or other ill-treatment. They have not been examined by a doctor despite their repeated requests.

 In an apparent act of retaliation against the hunger strike, prison authorities initially barred all five men from making or receiving phone calls for five days. During a visit to the prison on 13 March, the men’s families persuaded them to end their dry hunger strike but all five now remain on a “wet” hunger strike (refusing food). On 20 March, when their families arrived at prison for their weekly visitation, they were turned away by the prison authorities.

The men were arrested in early 2011 and sentenced to death on 7 July 2012 after being convicted of vaguely worded national security “offences” including “enmity against God and corruption on earth”, “gathering and colluding against state security”, and “spreading propaganda against the system” following an unfair trial.

Please write immediately in Persian, Arabic, English or your own language:

 Calling on the Iranian authorities to stop the executions of the five men (naming them), overturn their death sentences and grant them retrials in proceedings which comply with fair trial standards, without recourse to the death penalty;

 Urging them to ensure they are protected from torture and other ill-treatment, including as reprisals for their hunger strike and urging them to investigate allegations that the five men were tortured. Anyone found responsible for abuses should be brought to justice in accordance with international fair trial standards;

 Calling on them to ensure that the men are granted any medical attention they may require, and for them to be granted a resumption in face-to-face family visits and ongoing access to their lawyers.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), quoted from Majzooban Noor, Kasra Nouri and Saleh Moradi, two imprisoned Gonabadi Dervishes were transferred to prison’s clinic because of loss of consciousness.
These two Gonabadi dervishes who are behind bars for more than 18 months in Shiraz’s Adel Abad prison , lunched the hunger strike to protest illegal transfer of seven Gonabadi dervishes’s lawyers and Majzooban Noor website managers to solitary confinement of Evin prison on 27th of Dey 1391 ( Jan 15, 2013).They required prison officials to transfer back seven Gonabadi dervishes’s lawyers to the general ward of Evin Prison and called attention to their poor health status but unfortunately their request has not been answered yet and the detained lawyers of the Gonabadi dervishes are being held in solitary confinement of Ward 209.

Saleh Moradi and Kasra Nouri are currently in prison, on charges of “Propaganda against the regime”, “Acting against national security”, “Deviant group (Majzooban Noor) membership” and “Interviews with foreign media, Radio Farda”, but they have not yet received a definitive sentence till now. It seems that, after 18 months, their case is under investigation in Shiraz’s Revolutionary Court.

We note in this regard that although they have been in detention more than the serving a period of time which would equate to their sentence, therefore now their detention is absolutely unlawful.

High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. UN Photo/Violaine Martin

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has strongly condemned the executions on Wednesday of seven people in Saudi Arabia, saying that “they clearly violate international safeguards in the use of the death penalty.”

The seven men were reportedly arrested in January 2006 and charged with organizing a criminal group, armed robbery and breaking into jewellery stores. They were sentenced to death by a court in Asir province in August 2009, and the sentences were carried out yesterday by firing squad.

“I strongly condemn the execution of these seven men,” High Commissioner Navi Pillay said in a news release.

“Under international safeguards adopted by the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and reaffirmed by the General Assembly, capital punishment may be imposed only for ‘the most serious crimes’ and only after the most rigorous judicial process. As I pointed out to the Government of Saudi Arabia before the men were executed, neither of those fundamental criteria appear to have been fulfilled in these cases.”

“The term ‘most serious crimes’ has been interpreted to mean that the death penalty – in the relatively few countries where it is still used – should only be applied to the crime of murder or intentional killing,” she said.

“In this particular case, no crime of murder or intentional killing was committed. Thus, the use of the death penalty in these seven cases constitutes violations of the international safeguards in the use of the death penalty.”

Ms. Pillay said she is also extremely concerned that the death sentences were imposed largely based on initial confessions allegedly extracted under torture, and that the allegations of torture were not investigated.

Information she had received suggested that the seven accused men had reportedly only made brief appearances before the court, and were not allowed to speak or given adequate opportunities to conduct their defence, she noted. The defendants claimed they were not present at all during the appeal stages and had no defence counsel representing them.

“These serious failings in the process, if confirmed, would constitute violations of international safeguards in the use of death penalty, especially those related to the right to a fair trial and the right to appeal,” Ms. Pillay said.

She urged the Saudi authorities to join the worldwide trend against the death penalty and, as a first step, establish a moratorium on its use.

According to the High Commissioner’s office (OHCHR), a growing number of States – around 150 in all – have either abolished capital punishment or do not practise it. Also, several UN General Assembly resolutions include a call to all States to establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.

In addition to murder, Saudi Arabia applies the death penalty for crimes not considered “serious” under international norms, including drug offences, apostasy, heresy, sorcery and witchcraft. At least 27 people are believed to have been executed so far in 2013, including another two men reportedly executed on Wednesday in Riyadh and Mecca provinces, representing “a major upsurge” compared to recent years, said OHCHR.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), On February 12th of 2013 Etela’at agents invaded a Nava Na’imis’ house and inspected all her house which is located in Baharestan of Esfahan and took away her computer, books, religious and personal photos, arrested her and transferred to an unknown location.

There is no news from her nor about the reason of detention.

The United States condemns in the strongest terms the vicious and senseless terrorist attack that took place this morning at Camp Hurriya killing 6 people and injuring dozens more. We offer our condolences to the families of the victims and hope for the swift recovery of those who were injured.

We understand the Government of Iraq has undertaken to promptly investigate the attack. We call on it to earnestly and fully carry out that investigation and to take all appropriate measures to enhance the security of the camp consistent with its commitment and obligation to the safety and security of the camp’s residents. The terrorists responsible for this attack must be brought to justice.

We are consulting with the Government of Iraq and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on the circumstances surrounding this tragedy, and we remain committed to assisting the Government of Iraq and UNAMI in their efforts to implement the December 25, 2011 agreement.

“Shame on the United Nations, and shame on the United States Department of State,” said Rudolph W. Giuliani, who was mayor of New York during the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Addressing a Washington conference of 1,500 Iranian-Americans on Saturday, Mr. Giuliani called the attack “cold-blooded murder.”

Mr. Giuliani was joined by Andrew H. Card Jr., chief of staff to President George W. Bush; former Rep. Lee Hamilton, Indiana Democrat and former co-chairman of the 9/11 Commission; former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas Republican; retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones, a former national security adviser to President Obama; former Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, Rhode Island Democrat; Michael B. Mukasey, attorney general under Mr. Bush; former Sen. Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania Republican; and Frances Fragos Townsend, a homeland security adviser to Mr. Bush.

They are among dozens of current and former U.S. officials who campaigned to have the National Council of Resistance of Iran and its affiliated groups removed from the U.S. terrorist list. President Clinton placed the dissidents on the list in 1997 to placate Iran’s chief demand in bilateral talks.

The weekend convention of Iranian-Americans from 37 states originally was called to recognize those who helped get the resistance off the blacklist and to discuss relocation of about 3,100 dissidents in the ironically named “Camp Liberty” near Baghdad’s international airport.

The attack on Camp Liberty came Saturday morning in Baghdad, just hours before the conference opened in Washington.

Mr. Giuliani also called for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to fire Martin Kobler, the U.N. special envoy to Iraq who pressured the resistance to relocate to Camp Liberty from Camp Ashraf, a much larger and more secure fortification north of Baghdad.

Mr. Giuliani noted that he and Mr. Mukasey met with Mr. Kobler in July to express concerns about inadequate conditions at Camp Liberty, which the feisty New Yorker called a “concentration camp.”

“Well, Martin Kobler, it is not only a concentration camp. It’s a killing field, and you permitted it to become a killing field,” Mr. Giulani said.

The event changed gears from nuclear non-proliferation and democracy to become an unexpected vigil following news of a horrifying event within the Iranian expatriate community.

Early Saturday morning, Camp Hurriya, a former United States military base known as Camp Liberty just outside Baghdad, was attacked by rockets, reportedly killing six or seven and injuring dozens, the BBC reported. The camp held many members of the  Iranian resistance group Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), an exiled group supporting the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It is not yet known who was behind the attacks.

Former Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison spoke at the event to hundreds of Iranian-Americans about her support to one day see Iran as a democratic society.

“While America does play a unique role in the world, certainly I’m glad they do, we cannot take this one a lone. We’ve tried sanctions from America, that didn’t work,” Hutchison said. “It takes a global initiative, to take this challenge on and be serious about success.

Last week, both Vice President Joe Biden and newly appointed Secretary of State John Kerry urged Iranian officials to participate in discussions concerning its nuclear program. Currently, the U.S. government has sanctions and is in diplomatic talks to approach the Iranian government about their nuclear program. However, the Obama administration has indicated it will use military force to refrain Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Other speakers at the event included former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., former Pennsylvanian and Republican presidential candidate  Rick Santorum, and former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey, among others.

“This is a country that put a man on the moon and you mean to tell me we can’t get 3,000 people out of there safely? Nonsense,” Mukasey said as the crowd rose to their feet in applause.

Though many of the speakers admitted they came prepared for a slightly different discussion, they all expressed their condolences. Many were outraged at U.S. and United Nations officials for not doing enough for the exiled Iranians.

For Mihim Shaikh, a Dallas resident who attended, she is tearfully thinking of her parents.

The 33-year-old said her parents, who were residents at Camp Liberty and though are not named among the dead, she does not know if they are safe or among the many critically injured.

As she watched the aftermath on an Iranian news station early Saturday morning, she said she could only think of her 19-month-old daughter.

“All I could think about is her never seeing her grandparents, because I never did,” she said, dabbing away a tear from her cheek.

Shaikh’s parents sent her to America to live with an aunt and uncle in Fort Worth when she was nine.

“I’m here because I want to support the cause. I’m here for me people because they don’t have a voice in Iran,” she said.

Among the crowd, roughly 200 Texas Iranian Americans made the trip to the event, said Ali Soudjani, president of the Iranian-American Society of Texas.

http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2013/02/hutchison-iranian-texans-speak-out-for-a-democratic-iran/

The investigation should also look into the conduct of Iraqi security forces in the lead up and during the attack and whether they have failed to prevent any such attack.

Several people reportedly died and have been injured as a result of the attack against Camp Liberty, home of some 3,000 Iranians in exile in Iraq, on 9 February.

“The attack against Camp Liberty is a despicable crime,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International Middle East and North Africa Programme’s Deputy Director.

“Authorities in Iraq must ensure not only that those responsible for this attack are brought to justice but that those living in the camp are protected.”

The residents of Camp Liberty, members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran which opposes the Iranian government, were recently relocated to a site in north-east Baghdad – after having been settled for 25 years in Camp Ashraf.

Residents claimed the Iraqi forces attacked some of them during the relocation process in 2012.

Today the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ Chief, Antonio Guterres, stressed that the residents of Camp Liberty are asylum seekers undergoing refugee status determination process and as such are entitled to international protection.

In April 2011, Iraqi troops stormed camp Ashraf using grossly excessive force, including live ammunition, against residents who tried to resist them. Some 36 people ­– 28 men and eight women – were killed and more than 300 wounded. Those injured were prevented from leaving the camp to obtain medical treatment.

AI Index: PRE01/069/2013