Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi has spoken out against the mass execution of 16 convicts in Sistan-Baluchistan, saying their treatment violates legal procedures and highlights the Iranian judiciary’s lack of independence.
In a letter to Ahmad Shaheed, the UN rapporteur on human rights conditions in Iran, Ebadi refers to the attack by the militant group Jeysh-ol-adl on Iranian border officials, which led to the death of 14 officers on Friday October 25.
Ebadi reports that the judge in the case announced that the 16 individuals who were executed had links to the militant group and had been arrested months earlier. She stressed that the execution of people who were clearly not responsible for the attack on the border officials within 12 hours of the attack makes the move an act of revenge and contrary to fair legal procedures.
Ebadi emphasized that while the violence perpetrated by Jeysh-ol-adl cannot be condoned, the execution of individuals arrested months earlier in response to the current actions of the group is not justified. Furthermore, she said, such actions perpetuate more violence.
Ebadi warns that the prevalence of such “revengeful” responses could lead to widespread executions in the country.
