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PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/005/2008
08 January 2008
Further Information on UA 220/05
(MDE 13/047/2005, 24 August 2005) and follow-ups (MDE 13/122/2006, 26 October
2006; MDE 13/008/2007, 26 January 2007 and MDE 13/094/2007, 19 July 2007) – Fear
of imminent execution
IRAN Sina Paymard (m), aged 18,
musician
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 wasdemanded 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.
Many thanks to all who sent
appeals. No further action is requested from the UA network.
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