Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions A/HRC/14/24/Add.1
para 421
Full recommendation:
In view of the urgency of this matter and of the irreversibility of the punishment of the death
penalty, it is imperative that your Excellency’s Government should take all steps necessary to
prevent the execution of Mr Abbas Hosseini, which if carried out will be inconsistent with
acceptable standards of international law. Further, the unsuccessful negotiations so far, for
compensation (diyeh) to the victim’s family should not form the basis for carrying out the
execution of the death penalty. I therefore urge your Excellency’s Government to lift or commute
the death sentence imposed against Mr Abbas Hosseini.
Assessment
Abbas Hosseini was arrested and charged with murder in June 2004 for a crime he was accused
of committing when he was 17 years old.1 He was sentenced to be executed in May 2005, but his
execution was postponed a week to allow the victim's family time to consider monetary
compensation in form the form of the diyeh (blood money) in lieu of his execution. The victim’s
family reportedly refused to consider the payment of diyeh.2 His execution was postponed
multiple times until the sentence was upheld by the General Juvenile Court in Mashad in 2008.
His sentence was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court (branch 33) in December of 2008.
The last update on his case was on October 5th, 2009 when his execution was once gain
postponed.3 As of December 2020, there is no official and readily available information that
might suggest that the Islamic Republic of Iran has lifted or commuted the death sentence
imposed against Mr. Abbas Hosseini.
Recommendation Status:
This recommendation has NOT been implemented.
1
Amnesty International: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/iran-child-offender-due-be-executed-today-amnesty-appeal
Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/iran-child-offender-due-be-executed-today-amnesty-appeal
3 Iran Human Rights, https://iranhr.net/en/articles/484/
2
1