NCRI – In a new statement issued by the EU Presidency, France, the bloc condemned the execution of minors by the mullahs' regime on October 31.
"The European Union urges the Iranian authorities to ban all cases of execution of persons who were minors at the time of the crime, whatever their age when they were tried and without artificially excluding cases of execution under lex talionis, which now account for all of these executions," the statement said.
The EU calls for a "binding and generally applicable" mandate to make sure the Iranian regime complies.
The statement refers to an earlier "circular" by the Iranian regime in 2005 on the same issue which was not put into effect.
The brutal regime in Iran evoked much international condemnation for executing juveniles. According to right groups, it has hanged eight young men who were under 18 at the time of the alleged crimes in past ten months.
The U.N. Security General Ban Ki-moon in his report of deteriorating human rights situation in the country has raised grave concern over minor executions.
He said, "In another non-binding circular, the judiciary has placed a moratorium on juvenile executions, but the sentences are still being applied."
Iran is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, both of which obligate States parties to not impose the death penalty on those who commit crimes under the age of 18.
