PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/036/2008
07 February 2008

Further Information on UA 301/06 (MDE 13/126/2006, 13 November 2006) and follow-up (MDE 13/123/2006, 7 December 2006; MDE 13/142/2006, 22 December 2006; MDE 13/006/2007, 25 January 2007 and MDE 13/042/2007, 03 April 2007) - Fear of imminent execution

IRAN Abdulreza Sanawati Zergani (m)
Abdul Husain Haribi (m)
Ahmad Maramazi (m), previously named as Husain Maramazi
Husain Asakreh (m)
The four men named above were reportedly executed in a prison in Khuzestan. Abdulreza Sanawati Zergani was executed at dawn on 13 November 2007 and the three other men, Abdul Husain Haribi, Ahmad Maramazi and Husain Asakreh were executed on 30 December 2007. They had all been sentenced to death in connection with involvement in bomb explosions which took place in major cities in Khuzestan Province in 2005.

Abdulreza Sanawati Zergani was amongst seven men named on 10 January 2007 by three leading UN human rights experts - Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Leandro Despouy, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, and Manfred Nowak, UN Special Rapporteur on torture who jointly called on the government of Iran to “stop the imminent execution of seven men belonging to the Ahwazi Arab minority and grant them a fair and public hearing.” The UN experts stated: “We are fully aware that these men are accused of serious crimes… However, this cannot justify their conviction and execution after trials that made a mockery of due process requirements.” All the seven named men have now been executed.

Abdulreza Sanawati Zergani was initially thought to have been executed on 14 February 2007 along with two other men. However, further reports later suggested that his execution had been temporarily postponed and that a teacher, Risan Sawari was executed instead of him (see update to UA 57/06, MDE 13/041/2007, 2 April 2007).

Abdul Husain Haribi, Ahmad Maramazi and Husain Asakreh were sentenced to death on 16 November 2006 following a one-day closed trial at a Revolutionary Court in Shadegan in Khuzestan province. They were accused of bombing oil pipelines in Khuzestan.

Many thanks to all who sent appeals. No further action is requested.