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| In a case of RETRIBUTION IN KIND in Iran, the life |
The
National Observer, Dec. 18, 2015 – Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs
Stéphane Dion joined the United Nations in calling on Iran to improve its human
rights record in a resolution passed by the General Assembly.
The
UN resolution expressed “serious concern” at Iran’s high and increasing use of
the death penalty without respect for any international safeguards, which
resulted in the execution of 694 prisoners between Jan. 1 and Sept. 15 of this
year. In addition, the resolution called on Tehran to ensure that prisoners
received a fair trial with proper legal counsel and were not subjected to
torture or other forms of harsh punishments such as sexual violence for forced
confession.
“The text of the
resolution reflects both the areas where human rights violations continue and
those areas where Iran is taking steps to improve the human rights situation,”
said Dion.
According
to the United States Institute of Peace, Iranian authorities executed 753
people in 2014, noting that executions carried out by the Islamic Republic
“have been rising at an exponential rate since 2005.”
Under
Iranian law, a wide range of offences carry the death penalty, including
murder, drug trafficking, political opposition, espionage, blasphemy or
apostasy, adultery, and homosexual acts.
The
most common method of execution in Iran is hanging, which is often carried out
in public at the scene of a prisoner’s supposed crime. Other methods of
execution include stoning to death, shooting and pushing the victim over from a
height. Shooting the victim is no longer commonly employed, but in the
immediate aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, thousands of prisoners were
shot dead by revolutionary firing squads. There have also been a few cases of
prisoners being thrown from cliffs in years past.
“Canada and the
international community remain deeply concerned about Iran’s human rights
record. We call on the government of Iran to implement its human rights
obligations to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights for all people in
Iran,” said Dion.
In
addition to executions, the UN resolution condemned the Islamic Republic’s
ongoing persecution of ethnic and religious minorities. It also noted that
Tehran continues to restrict freedoms of expression, assembly and association
by harassing, prosecuting, and detaining anyone deemed to be an opponent of the
Islamic regime.
“Canada will
continue to speak out about issues of concern such as human rights violations
or Tehran’s regional policies,” Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Rachna
Mishra said.
Under
Stephen Harper’s former Conservative government, Ottawa severed diplomatic
relations with Tehran in 2012 and declared Iran to be a state sponsor of
terrorism. This policy remained in place even as Iran negotiated with the
Americans and Europeans to resolve its nuclear crisis.
