The public flogging on Tuesday in Iran of a young man convicted of consuming alcohol when he was just 14 or 15 years old
over a decade ago highlights the inhumanity of a justice system that legalizes brutality, said Amnesty International today.
"The circumstances of this case are absolutely shocking, representing another horrific example of the Iranian authorities' warped priorities. No one, regardless of age, should be subjected to flogging;
that a child was prosecuted for consuming alcohol and sentenced to 80 lashes beggars belief," said Philip Luther, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.
"The Iranian authorities' prolific use of corporal punishment, including on children, demonstrates a shocking disregard for basic humanity. They should immediately abolish all forms of such punishment, which in Iran includes amputation and blinding as well as flogging."
The public flogging took place on 10 July in Niazmand Square, Kashmar, Razavi Khorasan province, where the man, known just as M. R., was flogged 80 times on his back. Domestic media outlets have
posted a picture from showing the young man tied to a tree as he was flogged by a masked man, with a crowd of people watching at a distance.
According to the Public Prosecutor of Kashmar,
M. R. consumed alcohol during a wedding where an argument caused a fight that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old. The public prosecutor has conceded that M.R. was
not involved in the murder and that the flogging sentence was only for drinking alcohol.
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