The head of Iran’s judiciary has condemned the latest report by the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the state of human rights in Iran, saying it singles out Iran for executions even though the practice is used in various Islamic countries and is part of the Islamic value system.
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani reacted to Ahmad Shaheed’s report today, Wednesday October 17, focussing on the issue of executions in Iran. The head of the judiciary stressed that the report is an “affront to Islamic laws.”
“Not only in Iran but also in all Islamic countries, the death penalty exists and it is in effect one of the values of all the Muslims of the world,” Ayatollah Larijani said. “The question is why Iran is the only country being pressured while there is no action against any other country.”
The third report by Ahmad Shaheed, which was released last Thursday in New York, calls upon the Islamic Republic to release all political prisoners and suspend all death sentences.
Iran has dismissed Shaheed’s latest report as “repetitive and politically motivated.”
Iran’s judicial head insisted the death penalty is a part of Islamic law and the Muslim world should condemn such attacks on Islamic laws.
He added that Iran is being unreasonably singled out for keeping the death penalty in its penal code. He reminded his audience that the United States also uses the death penalty, adding: “The Americans are responsible for promoting the planting of poppies in Afghanistan during their presence in that country, which has resulted in increased drug offences in Iran.”
Drug charges in Iran are predominantly punishable by death.
The United Nations has contested the use of the death penalty for drug offences.
