Iran Focus
Washington, 20 Oct – The U.S. administration’s policy of “appeasing” Iran’s Ayatollahs is emboldening the authorities in Iran to step up suppression of Iranian dissidents, writes Ken Blackwell in Townhall:
Iran: Outrage of UN human rights experts at execution of two juvenile offenders
London, 17 Oct – United Nations human rights experts on Friday expressed their “outrage” and “profound sadness” at the execution in Iran of Fatemeh Salbehi, a juvenile offender convicted for the death of her husband, whom she had been forced to marry at the age of 16.
NCRI denounces trip to Iran by Germany’s FM
Iran Focus
London, 17 Oct – The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said it considers holding a meeting of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Tehran on Saturday and the visit by the German Foreign Minister to Iran an act against human rights in Iran and against regional and global peace and security that is to be condemned. It had called on the MSC Chairman and the German Foreign Minister to cancel their trips to Iran and call off the conference in Tehran.
Maryam Rajavi: Our plan is an Iran without executions
Iran Focus
Paris, 14 Oct – Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi told a conference on the occasion of the World Day Against the Death Penalty that her movement seeks to abolish capital punishment in a future “democratic” Iran.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said in a statement that Rajavi made the remarks at a conference in Paris on Saturday:
Rajavi: West must stop silence towards executions in Iran
Iran Focus
London, 14 Oct – Western governments must stop their silence and inaction vis-à-vis “executions and other atrocities of the religious fascism ruling Iran” and instead “respect the Iranian people’s resistance for freedom”, Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told a conference in Paris on Saturday on the occasion of the World Day Against the Death Penalty.
Iranian dissidents warn human rights worsen under Rouhani – POLITICO
Iran Focus
Paris, 13 Oct – Since Iranian President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013, more political prisoners have been jailed, conditions in prison have worsened and the number of executions have risen dramatically as the new regime sought to stave off the risk of a popular uprising fueled by increased access to outside information, Politico quoted an Iranian dissident who fled his country after being imprisoned in Tehran for five years as saying.
The following is the full text of Politico’s article published on 10 October:
Daily Mail interviews recently-escaped Iran political prisoner
Iran Focus
London, 13 Oct – The MailOnline has interviewed former Iranian political prisoner Farzad Madadzadeh and Paria Kohandel, the daughter of an Iranian political prisoner, who have given harrowing accounts of their torment in Iran.
The following is the full text of the MailOnline article:
10 October 2015
UN Funds Iran’s Record Breaking Execution Spree
A note by the Author:
Today marks the World Day against Death Penalty and provides the international community a chance to reflect on the effectiveness and morality of capital punishment. Of particular concern is Iran, which not only leads the world in per capita executions, but receives substantial funding from the United Nations and the West in support of a drug program that executes hundreds with little to no due process. Ironically the UN Secretary General put out a call today to end the use of executions in cases involving drug crimes, yet UNODC continues to support and fund Iranian authorities as they undertake a record pace of executions.
By Hamid Yazdan Panah
Member of European Parliament call for end to executions in Iran
Iran Focus
Strasbourg – 8 October 2015 – For Immediate Release
More than 100 Euro MPs Urge President of European Parliament to Call for Ending Executions in Iran, during his visit to Tehran
On the occasion of the European Day Against Death Penalty, the Friends of a Free Iran in the European Parliament (FOFI) which consists of Euro MPs from different political groups held a meeting in Strasbourg. They strongly condemned the mass executions in Iran under the “moderate” President Hassan Rouhani with over 2000 death sentences carried out since he took office two years ago. They noted that Rouhani himself has defended these executions and has stated clearly on Iranian TV that death sentences “are the law of God” and must be implemented.
115 MEPs write to Martin Schulz on human rights in Iran
Iran Focus
Strasbourg, 8 Oct – At least 115 Members of the European Parliament have written to the parliament’s President urging him to pressure Iran to end executions and other human rights violations. The following is the full text of the letter:
Mr Martin Schulz
President of European Parliament
