The minor offender is at imminent risk of execution

Iran Human Rights, August 10: The juvenile offender Amir Amrollahi who is convicted of murder at the age of 16 is at imminent risk of execution.

According to Amir’s lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei, the execution order has now been sent to the section for implementation of the verdict and he could be exeuted very soon.

Several Iranian newspapers such as Etemaad, Etemaad-e-melli and Kargozaaran reported this news along with the objections of Amir’s lawyer Mr. Mostafaei.

BACKGROUND:

The murder Amir is convicted of, took place in November 2006 during a fight with another boy identified as Mohsen in the city of Shiraz.

He was sentenced to death in a local court and the sentence was later the same year (2006) approved by the Supreme court.

The case was later taken over by Mr. Mostafaei who also defendes several other minor offenders. In January 2008 the case was sent to the section for the implementation of the verdict.

despite the appeals from Ami’rs lawyer the execution order has now been issued. According to Amir’s lawyer, besides the fact that Amir was a minor at the time of comitting the offence, there are several weaknesses in the case:

His family are poor, so Amir Amrollahi could not afford competent legal representation at the trial where he was sentenced to death, the court did not pay attention to the fact that the killing had been unintentional and his mental state at the time of the incident was not properly considered.

International focus on the case might be the only way to save Amir’s life.