URGENT Call to Action petition to overturn execution of Safar Angooti

We are requesting for an urgent call to action to overturn the scheduled execution on October 19, 2009 of Safar Angooti, who was a minor at the time of his conviction. Safar was sentenced to death in April 27, 2008 when he was 17-years-old for fighting and killing a rival suitor for a girl.

According to Etemad daily, Safar said "I have killed him but not intentionally. I did this because I was inexperienced and I was angry. I asked the family of the victim to forgive me but the victim's father said that I had killed his son Mehdi and deserve the punishment." The father of the deceased said "I don't know the reason why they got into a fight but Safar has killed my son and he should be killed".

Safar Angooti was previously scheduled for execution on May 6, 2009, but it was postponed at the last minute, and now has once again been rescheduled for execution on Oct 19, 2009.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which was ratified and signed by Iran, prohibits the execution of minors.

Article 37 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states - Torture and deprivation of liberty: No child shall be subjected to torture, cruel treatment or punishment, unlawful arrest, or deprivation of liberty. Both capital punishment and life imprisonment without the possibility for release are prohibited for offenses committed by persons below 18 years. Any child deprived of liberty shall be separated from adults unless it is considered in the child's best interest not to do so. A child who is detained shall have legal and other assistance as well as contact with the family.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, spokesperson of Iran Human rights said: " We hope UN, EU and the world community do whatever they can to stop these executions, which are clear violations of the international laws that Iran has ratified. As long as the death penalty for offences at under 18 years of age exists in the Iranian penal law, we will witness execution of minors in this country. United Nations must show that its conventions are more than just formalities and put serious pressure on the Iranian authorities in order to stop execution of minor offenders".

We urgently request the international community to swiftly act and pressure the judiciary court in Iran to review Safar Angooti's case and uphold their ratification of international laws and therefore overturn the death sentence for Safar Angooti.