Friday 24 July 2009

Here's the Truth, but where's the Justice?

The following contains footage that may be considered disturbing by some viewers:

IRI Hanging

As you can see, the condemned are lifted into the air with a noose around their neck; death follows a slow and painful bout of asphyxiation (strangulation). It does not meet with the conventional hanging method, whereby the condemned falls and has their neck snapped at the end of the noose, dying instantly. As shown in the above footage, the woman is kicking her legs out of the agony in enduring the prolonged pain and suffering caused by such a backwards method of execution.

This inhumane method of execution, performed by the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, falls foul of the international standard of human rights concerning the execution of prisoners condemned to death. In the case of Ng v Canada (Case 469/91 (5/11/93)) the Human Rights Committee re-affirmed, as it did in its General Comment 20 (44) on Article 7 of the Covenant (CCPR/C/21/Add.3 para.6) that the execution of a death sentence “…must be carried out in such a way as to cause the least possible physical and mental suffering”. Death in the ‘gas chamber’ is brought about by asphyxiation, which involves prolonged pain and suffering; therefore, breaching Article 7 ICCPR 1966 prohobition of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The relevance of the judgement is evident - death in the gas chamber is brought about by strangulation ('asphyxiation') causing prolonged pain and suffering. This was ruled against. The above footage clearly and unequivocally conveys three people killed by strangulation; their death is brought about by the very same prohibited form of prolonged pain and suffering.

Therefore, the judgement of the Human Rights Committee in Ng is a clear and unequivocal illustration of the illegality of such execution of a death sentence; it also qualifies as torture; thus, violating Article 7 ICCPR. Yet again the IRI are guilty of violating international human rights law, which has bound Iran since 1975.

You have the truth before you; where is the justice?

1 comment:

  1. justice will be happening soon.... the west will wake up to truth and will act as human and will follow the iranian students movement, the true leaders of justic and honering justice.

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