Iran prepares to execute a young man accused of sodomy

Source: Tetu

By Blaise Gauquelin

(Google translation)

Nemat Safavi was 16 when Iranian police arrested him. Convicted of sodomy, was sentenced to death and still awaiting his execution.

Reportedly, Iran is preparing once again to execute a young man arrested while he was a minor. Nemat Safavi, who was convicted of having practiced "sex acts that are not admitted, was sentenced by the court of Ardabil in Iranian Azerbaijan, the death penalty. Detained for over three years, he now expects that the supreme court approves the sentence and no information is given by the justice of his fate.

Iran has signed two international treaties on the protection of children. The country has pledged not to execute any citizen minor when the facts repprochés. Nemat Safavi is part of the list maintained by Amnesty minors tried and awaiting execution in Iran. The European Parliament, the UN, the Nobel Peace Shirin Ebadi urged Iran to end juvenile executions in vain.

Two other young men disappeared

Furthermore, in February 2008, two young men, ages 18 and 19, were arrested under the same conditions and in the same region. Identified as the Loghman Hamzeh-for and Hamze Tchave initially, these two Iranians have since given most of their new friends.

L'Iran s'apprête à exécuter un jeune homme accusé de sodomie

Par Blaise Gauquelin

Nemat Safavi avait 16 ans lorsque la police iranienne l'a arrêté. Reconnu coupable d'acte de sodomie, il a été condamné à mort et attend toujours son exécution.

Selon nos informations, l'Iran s'apprête une nouvelle fois à exécuter un jeune homme arrêté alors qu'il était mineur. Nemat Safavi, reconnu coupable d'avoir pratiqué «des actes sexuels qui ne sont pas admis», a été condamné par le tribunal d'Ardabil, en Azerbaidjan iranien, à la peine de mort. Détenu depuis plus de trois ans, il attend désormais que la cour suprême valide la sentence et aucune information n'est donnée par la justice sur son sort.

L'Iran a signé deux traités internationaux portant sur la protection de l'enfance. Le pays s'est engagé à ne plus exécuter aucun citoyen mineur au moment des faits repprochés. Nemat Safavi fait partie de la liste tenue à jour par Amnesty des mineurs jugés et en attente d'exécution en Iran. Le Parlement européen, l'Onu, la prix Nobel de la Paix Chirine Ebadi ont demandé à l'Iran de mettre fin aux exécutions de mineurs, en vain.

Deux autres jeunes hommes disparus
Par ailleurs, en février 2008, deux jeunes hommes, âgés de 18 et 19 ans, ont été arrêtés dans les mêmes conditions et dans la même région. Identifiés sous le nom de Loghman Hamzeh-pour et de Hamze Tchavi dans un premier temps, ces deux Iraniens n'ont, depuis, plus donné de nouvelles à leurs amis.

• Facebook group: Save Nemat Safavi 
• Apoyo a Nemat Safavi
  

Statement by Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees

Nemat Safavi, 21 years old, has been sentenced to death by the juvenile court in Ardebil, a city northwest Iran.

Queers in Iran are put to death and persecution by their government, simply for being who they are.

Now more than ever we need your help.

According to the Human Rights Activist Group in Iran, Nemat was detained by Iranian authorities when he was 16 years old because of his homosexual acts (Lavat). He was sentenced to death after being tried in the court of Ardebil. Mr. Safavi spent time since his arrest in a 'rectification and education' centre, and is now being kept in the division of youths in an Ardebil prison.

A final determination of Nemat's fate will be made by Iran's Supreme Court. However, these sentences frequently stand as decided.

Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees calls on all human rights organizations to take up this urgent cause. We ask that people write, fax, call, or email to Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and any LGBT and/or international organizations to support Nemat and vigorously oppose his execution and the laws against homosexuals.

Your donation to IRQR helps us pursue every legal avenue to save the lives of people like Nemat Safavi. The fight is far from over.

Please, donate now: http://irqr.net/donation.htm