requires that children regularly testify against themselves or confess guilt, which may incentivize
not scrutinizing their mental development too closely.15
Additionally, and as aforementioned, death sentences can be issued against child offenders
without complete certainty about the full mental development of the child. The burden of proof is
inconsistently on the prosecution to establish complete certainty about the full mental
development of the child.
C. Ensure that the child is afforded the benefit of the doubt if the assessment is not
undertaken immediately after the crime
The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly executed child offenders even when assessments
were undertaken long after the alleged crime, indicating that children are not afforded the benefit
of the doubt.16
Recommendation Status:
This recommendation has NOT been implemented.
15
Iran Wire, https://iranwire.com/fa/features/2304
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, January 2019,
https://undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=A%2FHRC%2F40%2F67&Language=E&DeviceType=Desktop
16