IRAN: DEATH ROW JUVENILE OFFENDER BEATEN TO DEATH BY PRISON GUARDS

April 7, 2020:

Death row juvenile offender Danial Zeinolabedini was beaten to death by prison guards.
Danial’s body was handed over to his family on 2^nd April 2020. Iran Human Rights strongly condemns the killing of Danial Zeinolabedini and urges the international community to react swiftly and properly. IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the head of Judiciary Ebrahim Raeisi are responsible for this crime, and they must be held accountable for that. We call on the UN to pay special attention to this case. Coronavirus pandemic should not make the international community close its eyes on violations of human rights.”
According to IHR sources, following a riot in Mahabad prison due to the prisoners’ fear of Coronavirus spread in the prison, Danial and some others were sent to solitary confinement. He was beaten there and transferred to Miandoab prison, in West Azerbaijan province. In Miandoab prison, he was beaten again. “Danial called home on 31 March. He told his family that he was beaten badly and that he could barely talk. He asked for help, a well-informed source told IHR, “And finally, the prison authorities called Danial’s father and told him that his son is dead!”“We have received Danial’s body full of bruises and injuries. Authorities claimed he committed suicide. Danial’s co-defendant was also beaten and injured badly. He is also in grave danger,” the source said.
Danial Zeinolabedini was a juvenile offender whose death sentence had been upheld by the Iranian Supreme Court. Danial was born on 9 August 2000. He allegedly committed murder on 22 September 2017, when he was 17 years old. According to his relatives, he did not commit the murder and was innocent.
According to the Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran, published by IHR, at least 4 juvenile-offenders were executed in 2019 in Iran.