Rights groups have criticised Iran after a senior official said the fate of a condemned man convicted of a murder he committed at the age of 17 is in the hands of the victim’s family.
Arman Abdolali, now 25, is facing the gallows for killing his girlfriend following a 2015 trial marred by confessions obtained under torture, according to Amnesty International.
Iran has cancelled the planned execution on at least two occasions after international outcries. Abdolali has been moved in and out of solitary confinement at Raja’i Shahr prison in Karaj, on the outskirts of Tehran, over the last week in preparation for his execution.
The UN said the hanging would breach international laws banning the death penalty for people who committed crimes while under the age of 18.
A senior Iranian justice official has told Iran’s official news agency IRNA that the family of the dead woman could spare his life in return for blood money. Resolving the dispute has been complicated by the failure to find the young woman’s body, the official said.
But the UN and Amnesty International said that responsibility lay with Iran to uphold international rules on the rights of the child.
“The fact stands that Arman Abdolali faces the gallows because Iranian courts sentenced him to death in flagrant breach of international law,” Amnesty said. “The imminent execution of Arman Abdolali also exposes yet again the complicity of successive parliaments in the assault on children’s rights.”
UN human rights experts said that while the authorities had encouraged negotiations about a pardon that did not replace prohibition on executions.
There are reportedly more than 85 juvenile offenders on death row in Iran despite Iran signing an agreement banning the practice in 1968.
“International human rights law unequivocally forbids imposition of the death sentence on anyone under 18 years of age,” said the experts, who include the special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman.
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Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
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