Arabic Network for Human Rights Information Press Release

Click here for Persian copy download

Arabic text of Baghi’s book; download Arabic PDF

(Cairo, 18 August  2009) The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), in collaboration with the International Campaign For Human Rights In Iran, has published an Arabic translation of “Juvenile Executions, A Survey of Origins and Cultural-Religious Solutions,” by Iranian human rights defender and winner of the 2009 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights, Emad Baghi.

Baghi presents comprehensive research on child executions, a punishment that is still inflicted in a few Islamic countries. His study is based on arguments supported by Islamic and international law, and concludes that abolishing any form of  death penalty is necessary, including the execution of child offenders convicted of crimes they committed under the age of 18.

This study is the second part of Baghi’s book, “Right to Life,” in which he focuses on abolishing child executions and goes further in discussions that support abolishing child execution based on Islamic laws and arguments that prove that Islamic countries can eradicate this penalty.

The author analyzes the intellectual and jurisprudential basis for executing children for crimes committed under 18 years of age in countries that depend on Islamic arguments in their legislation, Iran being one of them, and thereby reaching the conclusion of the necessity of abolishing this punishment. Throughout his study, Baghi refers to Koranic verses, Islamic jurisprudential rules, and the principles of human rights.

The book is banned in Iran, as was its first volume, because of its bold arguments in criticizing the penal codes in Iran and due to Baghi’s objection to some interpretations of Islamic laws. Baghi was imprisoned because of his activities in defense of human rights, yet he prepared this research while in Evin prison in Tehran. He was released in July 2008.

Because of his outstanding efforts in defending human rights and specifically abolishing the death penalty, Baghi was awarded the 2009 Martin Ennals Prize for Human rights, one of the most important prizes in human rights recommended by 10 human rights eminent organizations.

The Arabic Network  for Human Rights Information ( ANHRI) and the International Campaign For Human Rights In Iran translate and published this study in Arabic as  a valuable document to assist policy makers, legislators, Shura council members and scholars in Islamic countries in making new laws and legislations based on Islamic references and human rights standards, which gives assurance that Islamic jurisprudence does not contradict efforts to abolish death penalty, and in particular to end the execution of child offenders.

There are currently five Islamic countries, three of which are Arab countries, whose legal codes allow for the execution of child offenders: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen and Pakistan.

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To download a copy of the book, please visit http://www.anhri.net

To order a free copy of “Child Executions” in Arabic, please contact:

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

19, 26^th July Street, 4th floor, Down Town, Cairo, Egypt

Email: info@anhri.net

Web site: www.anhri.net

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To download a copy of the book in Persian click here or visit this page