Iran: Stop the execution of child offender Sina Paymard

Amnesty International has just heard of the imminent execution of Sina Paymard, who was sentenced to death in Iran for a crime committed when he was just 16 years old. According to reports, he has been moved from Reja'i Shahr prison in Karaj, to Tehran's Evin prison, for his execution to be carried out.

Update: 8 January - Sina Paymard is released

Sina Paymard was released on 24 December 2007 after payment of over 1.5 million Iranian Rials (US$160,000) in diyeh (blood money), which was demanded by the family of the murder victim in order to pardon him.

Following the payment of the diyeh at the end of July, Sina Paymard remained in custody pending the decision by Branch 71 of the Criminal Court of Tehran Province on the length of time in prison he would still have to serve. The Court ruled that he should be released, as he had already spent three and half years in prison.

Sina Paymard, a musician, was sentenced to qesas (retribution) for the 2004 murder of a drug dealer during a fight. His death sentence was upheld by Branch 33 of the Supreme Court. He was due to be executed on two occasions. The first scheduled execution date, 20 September 2006, was two weeks after his 18th birthday. That day, he was taken to the gallows to be hanged. His last request was to play the ney, a Middle Eastern flute. Relatives of the murder victim, who were there to witness the hanging, were so moved by his playing that they granted him a last-minute reprieve, and agreed to accept payment of diyeh instead of retribution by death. His execution was postponed for two months, while it was referred to conciliation in order to allow both families to negotiate over the payment of diyeh.

In January 2007, the Head of the Judiciary granted Sina Paymard a stay of execution while negotiations continued between his and the victim’s families. The victim’s family demanded diyeh of more than US$160,000. However, Sina Paymard’s family managed to raise US$70,000, which they offered to the victim’s family in April 2007, but the victim’s family reportedly refused to accept it as insufficient. Sina Paymard was again scheduled to be executed, this time on 18 July 2007. At the last minute, he was granted a stay of execution, to allow time for his family and the family of the murder victim to reach a financial settlement. Following donations from human rights activists and others inside Iran, notably a substantial donation from a university lecturer, the remaining US$90,000 was raised.

According to reports from news agency AFP, Sina Paymard is set to be saved from execution after his family reached a financial settlement with the victim's kin. His lawyer said that the victim's family now need to give their formal agreement for the execution to be cancelled, but that the full amount of money had now been paid.

Many thanks to all those who have taken action on this case. No further action is requested at the present time. Further information will be posted here as available.

Background

Sina Paymard, a musician, was due to be  executed in September last year for murder. On the gallows, Sina's last request was to play the ney (a Middle Eastern flute) just one more time. The family of the victim were so moved by his playing that they granted him a last minute reprieve. They asked for 150 million toumans (over $US 160,000) as compensation instead. Sina's family have been unable to raise the full amount.

Iran continues to have one of the highest rates of executions in the world. Amnesty International has recorded at least 124 executions since the beginning of 2007, suggesting that by the end of this year the total number of executions could exceed the total of 177 executions that Amnesty International recorded in 2006. 

Two recent victims of the Iranian authorities' use of the death penalty were child offenders, whose alleged crimes were committed before the age of 18, and a third was a man who was stoned to death. The two child offenders - Mohammad Mousavi and Sa'id Qanbar Zahi - were executed in April and May respectively, in direct contravention of international law, which requires that no-one should be executed for crimes committed while under the age of 18.

Amnesty International has just heard of the imminent execution of Sina Paymard, who was sentenced to death in Iran for a crime committed when he was just 16 years old. According to reports, he has been moved from Reja'i Shahr prison in Karaj, to Tehran's Evin prison, for his execution to be carried out.

Update: 8 January - Sina Paymard is released

Sina Paymard was released on 24 December 2007 after payment of over 1.5 million Iranian Rials (US$160,000) in diyeh (blood money), which was demanded by the family of the murder victim in order to pardon him.

Following the payment of the diyeh at the end of July, Sina Paymard remained in custody pending the decision by Branch 71 of the Criminal Court of Tehran Province on the length of time in prison he would still have to serve. The Court ruled that he should be released, as he had already spent three and half years in prison.

Sina Paymard, a musician, was sentenced to qesas (retribution) for the 2004 murder of a drug dealer during a fight. His death sentence was upheld by Branch 33 of the Supreme Court. He was due to be executed on two occasions. The first scheduled execution date, 20 September 2006, was two weeks after his 18th birthday. That day, he was taken to the gallows to be hanged. His last request was to play the ney, a Middle Eastern flute. Relatives of the murder victim, who were there to witness the hanging, were so moved by his playing that they granted him a last-minute reprieve, and agreed to accept payment of diyeh instead of retribution by death. His execution was postponed for two months, while it was referred to conciliation in order to allow both families to negotiate over the payment of diyeh.

In January 2007, the Head of the Judiciary granted Sina Paymard a stay of execution while negotiations continued between his and the victim’s families. The victim’s family demanded diyeh of more than US$160,000. However, Sina Paymard’s family managed to raise US$70,000, which they offered to the victim’s family in April 2007, but the victim’s family reportedly refused to accept it as insufficient. Sina Paymard was again scheduled to be executed, this time on 18 July 2007. At the last minute, he was granted a stay of execution, to allow time for his family and the family of the murder victim to reach a financial settlement. Following donations from human rights activists and others inside Iran, notably a substantial donation from a university lecturer, the remaining US$90,000 was raised.

According to reports from news agency AFP, Sina Paymard is set to be saved from execution after his family reached a financial settlement with the victim's kin. His lawyer said that the victim's family now need to give their formal agreement for the execution to be cancelled, but that the full amount of money had now been paid.

Many thanks to all those who have taken action on this case. No further action is requested at the present time. Further information will be posted here as available.

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