Spring of freedom

The US condemned on Tuesday the appointment of a notorious ayatollah, responsible for the deaths of thousands of political prisoners in the 1980s, to head Iran’s all-powerful Judiciary. US State Department’s Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino tweeted, in both Farsi and English, that the appointment of conservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi was a “disgrace”, given that he served on the Tehran Death Committee that sent thousands of political prisoners to the gallows in the  summer of 1988 . Palladino said: “Ebrahim Raisi, involved in mass executions of political prisoners, was chosen to lead Iran’s judiciary. What a disgrace! The regime makes a mockery of the legal process by allowing unfair trials and inhumane prison conditions. Iranians deserve better!” Robert Palladino ✔ @StateDeputySPOX Ebrahim Raeesi, involved in mass executions of political prisoners, was chosen to lead # Iran ’s judiciary. What a disgrace! The regime makes a mockery of the legal proc...

This execution is contrary to Iran's international commitments   France, August 16, 2017  -- France condemns the execution in Iran, on August 10, of Alireza Tajiki, a minor at the time of the events and at the time of his sentencing, and expresses its concerns about reports of the imminent execution of Mehdi Bohlouli, also sentenced to death when he was a juvenile. This execution is contrary to the international commitments that Iran itself has signed on to, particularly the international Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is also a step backward with respect to the positive developments we have seen on human rights in Iran, most notably the Iranian Parliament’s adoption of a law on August 13 limiting the scope of the death penalty. France reiterates its unwavering opposition to the death penalty throughout the world and in all circumstances. It encourages Iran to continue its efforts and to establish a moratorium with a view to its abolition.