Geneva, 26 January 2011. The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) condemnsthe execution of Mr. Jafar Kazemi and Mr. Mohammad Ali Haj Aghaii, bothconvicted of Moharebeh “enemityagainst God”, which carries the death penalty, for their participation inpost-election protests and membership in the banned opposition group, thePeople’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI). OMCT is also gravely concernedabout the risk of imminent execution of Mr. Abdolreza Ghanbari, Mr. Ahmad DaneshpourMoghaddam and his son, Mr. Mohsen Daneshpour Moghaddam, Mr. Javad Lari and Ms.Farah Vazehan, who were as well found guilty of Moharebeh for alleged links to the PMOI. OMCT calls upon the Iranian Judiciary to immediately suspend theexecution sentence of the abovementioned individuals as well as halt allexecutions in Iran.

According to the information received, Mr. Jafar Kazemi, 47 years old,and Mr. Mohammad Ali Haj Aghaii, 52 yeas old, were hanged, on 24 January 2011, in Evinprison, Tehran, without their family or lawyers being notified. Theyhad been arrested in September and December 2009 respectively based on visitsthey had made to Camp Ashraf[1] in Iraq, where approximately 3’400 members of the PMOI livein exile, including Mr. Jafar Kazemi’s son.

Mr. Jafar Kazemi and Mr. Mohammad Ali Haj Aghaii were reportedly heldmore than a year in solitary confinement before their execution. Mr. JafarKazemi is also reported to have suffered torture with the purpose of extractinga confession but he consistently denied any illegal activity. Neither of thesemen received a fair trial. They were sentenced to death in April 2010 and theirappeals were later rejected by the Supreme Court.

Given these executions, OMCT is gravely concerned that Mr. AbdolrezaGhanbari, Mr. Ahmad Daneshpour Moghaddam, Mr. Mohsen Daneshpour Moghaddam, Mr.Javad Lari and Ms. Farah Vazehan will be executed imminently.

Since the beginning of the year, it is reported that at least 70 executions were carried out in Iran. OMCT reaffirmsits strong opposition to the death penalty as an extreme form of cruel, inhumanand degrading punishment and a violation of the right to life, as proclaimed inthe Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rightsinstruments. OMCT calls upon the Iranian judicial authorities to immediatelyhalt the execution of Mr. Abdolreza Ghanbari, Mr. Ahmad Daneshpour Moghaddam,Mr. Mohsen Daneshpour Moghaddam, Mr. Javad Lari and Ms. Farah Vazehan. Moregenerally, OMCT calls on the Iranian authorities to stop all executions.

At a time when momentum is gathering across the world to end capital punishment, the Islamic Republic of Iran defies internationalhuman rights law by increasing the number of executions under conditions thatblatantly violate international human rights standards.

OMCT also recalls that Iran is legally bound toeffectively ensure the physical and psychological integrity of all personsdeprived of liberty in accordance with international human rights law, inparticular the International Covenant onCivil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ratified by Iran.

Contact:

Eric Sottas, Secretary General,OMCT, Tel.: +41 22 809 49 39

[1]See OMCT previouscommunications on Camp Ashraf.