UN rights chief asks Iran to stay execution of juvenile offenders

AFP: The United Nations top human rights official on Tuesday asked Iran not to execute four offenders sentenced to death over crimes committed when they were under the age of 18.

GENEVA (AFP) — The United Nations top human rights official on Tuesday asked Iran not to execute four offenders sentenced to death over crimes committed when they were under the age of 18.

Louise Arbour, who steps down as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the end of the month, said Iran is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, both of which "prohibit the death penalty for juvenile offenders."

Arbour therefore "requested the Islamic Republic of Iran to stay the executions of these four juvenile offenders in strict compliance with its international human rights obligations".

Three of the four offenders were 17 when they committed the crime, while one was just 15, said the UNHCR's spokesman.

The four were named as Behnoud Shojaaee, Mohammad Fadaaee, Saeed Jazee and Behnam Zaare.