12 October 2020 :
Iran has sentenced a man to have four fingers amputated as a punishment for stealing, iran-hrm reported on October 4, 2020.
The 2nd Branch of the Urmia Criminal Court sentenced Arash Ali Akbari, 32, to the amputation of four fingers on his right hand for theft. The sentence against the man has been upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court and referred to the Centre for the Implementation of Sentences of Urmia in West Azerbaijan province.
The man is sentenced to “have four fingers on his right hand completely cut off so that only the palm of his hand and thumb are left.”
Arash Ali Akbari was arrested in September 2019 for 16 counts of theft and was tried on July 9.
He has a diploma and works as a welder. He was deprived of the right to a lawyer of his choice.
IHRM recalls that 4 other men were recently sentenced to amputation.
It refers to the cases of Hadi Rostami, Mehdi Sharafian, Mehdi Shahivand, and Kasra Karami. The news of their condemnation was reported to Hands Off Cain on May 2, 2020.
Hadi Rostami, Mehdi Sharafian, Mehdi Shahivand, and Kasra Karami, who are all aged over 20, were handed the punishment after a failed appeal.
Three of the men were originally tried on November 2 last year on four counts of robbery in the city of Urmia, in northern Iran.The fourth – Kasra Karami – was sentenced to have his fingers amputated by Criminal Court 1 in West Azerbaijan province in February 2017.
The verdicts against the four men have been referred to the Centre for the Implementation of Sentences. The sentences may be carried out at any moment.