Over the past three years, Iran has been accused of committing international human rights violations by carrying out an unprecedented number of amputations as punishment for theft.
Iran has carried out an unprecedented number of amputations for theft over the past three years, justifying it under the country's strict religious laws in spite of its breaking international human rights laws.https://t.co/q5XFDFOCw7 pic.twitter.com/g3jW5o9FrC
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) December 9, 2024
Hand amputation sentences formally became a part of Iran’s judicial system after the Iranian Revolution in 1979, when the Western-backed monarchy was overthrown and replaced with the Islamic Republic under the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini.
Since then, Iran has been under scrutiny for enforcing amputations and other forms of corporal punishment banned under international law, making it one of the few countries in the world to implement such kinds of punishments, including amputations for theft and other crimes.
Other forms of punishments, such as stoning and flogging, continue to be carried out, proof of Iran’s continued defiance of international human rights laws and conventions. Killings and detention of protesters by state security forces, as well as the violent crackdown on women’s rights, are among the Iranian regime’s long list of human rights violations, which prompted countries and international organizations such as the United States and the European Union to impose sanctions against Iran.
No surprise. It is not their original idea.
They are following the commandments in the Quran pic.twitter.com/fRJeuPV8CU— Uri Postavsky (@PostavskyUri) November 3, 2023
While reports suggest that Iranian authorities have tried to cover up and limit publicity around these punishments in recent years due to growing international pressure, numerous cases of amputations continue to be documented.
Between January 1, 2000, and September 24, 2020, at least 237 individuals in Iran have been sentenced to amputation, with at least 129 of those sentences carried out, according to spokesperson of the UN Human Rights Office, Ravina Shamdasani.
Last October, Iran’s state-affiliated daily newspaper reported that eight theft suspects had been indicted and referred to Tehran’s Criminal Court, where they potentially face amputation sentences.
Last November, Etemad, a Tehran-based reformist newspaper, reported that two suspects accused of robbing safety deposit boxes at Iran’s National Bank were sentenced to hand amputations.
Islamic republic’s tv is officially inciting authorities using Quaran to issue torture (cutting off the opposing limb) n death penalty against the ordinary people attending in recent #IranProtests. @realDonaldTrump @SecPompeo @ABC @CNN @AP @RudawEnglish pic.twitter.com/S643TiDkd5
— cheshm_abi (@chawshin_83) November 27, 2019
Shamsadani has called on Iran to comply with its international human rights obligations and end its practice of handing down corporal punishments, such as flogging, stoning, and amputation.
Furthermore, some Iranian officials have continued to speak in favor of corporal punishments, such as amputation, including the head of Iran’s judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.
"If theft is proven under the conditions set by Islam, the thief's fingers must be amputated," Ejei said during a speech at the Islamic Azad University in Tehran.
"This is a ruling from God that has been implemented and continues to be implemented despite the pressure we face from various organizations. The majority of hadd punishments [fixed punishments prescribed under Islamic law] for theft carried out in the past three years have been this ruling," Ejei added.
They have a whole lot less crime thanks to their laws. America could learn from them
— Anthony Sloan (@Anthony_W_Sloan) January 2, 2023
Nevertheless, many human rights organizations and activists have called on Iran to end amputations, as these sentences violate international human rights standards, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Iran has signed. This treaty explicitly prohibits inhumane or degrading punishments, and many human rights advocates argue that these practices violate the principle of human dignity, a cornerstone of international law.
"Iran has carried out amputations for years, and the actual numbers are much higher than what is reported in media outlets like Etemad newspaper, as most cases are not officially announced," Mahmood Amiry Moghadam, director of the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights, has said.
"This is an inhumane, cruel, and degrading punishment. It is not only in violation of ethical and human principles but also illegal under international laws. It constitutes a serious violation of the conventions that the Islamic Republic of Iran has signed and pledged to uphold. These practices are far from acceptable."
