IRAN DEATH PENALTY DEBATED BY EU DELEGATION IN TEHRAN

December 17, 2013: A European Parliament delegation has visited Tehran to discuss a host of issues, including human rights.
The death penalty, which is legal in Iran, was a major topic at a meeting held on human rights issues on Tuesday, December 17.
The head of the Iranian Human Rights Council Mohammed-Javal Larijani would like to see some amendments to the country’s legislation on capital punishment.
Larijani explained to euronews: “I personally think that we should revise the death penalty for combating narcotic crimes – and replace that with a collective joint effort to fight narcotic trafficking.”
“The European community could be part of this cooperation and collective activity,” Larijani added.
Finnish MEP Tarja Cronberg, a member of the EU delegation, said: “I think the Iranians feel very much that they are judged by double standards, and that they are criticised on some things that happen in other countries too. We try to convince them that the European Parliament also criticises the death penalty in other countries, in the US, in China”.
Besides drug trafficking, crimes punishable by death in Iran include murder, rape and kidnapping.
According to the Iran’s Human Rights Documentation Centre, 400 executions have been announced this year. (Sources: euronews.com, 17/12/2013)