| |  IranIncreasing Executions, Death Sentences in Iran (2/6)
We join the international community in expressing concern about the increase in executions in Iran – at least 36 executions have been reported in the Iranian and international press since January 1, 2008. We are also concerned about the growing number of cases in which the death sentence is imposed after trials that were neither fair nor transparent. We are troubled that individuals are being sentenced to death, including by stoning, for crimes that do not meet the standards outlined in the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, which Iran has ratified.
We urge the Iranian regime to adhere to its international obligations and commitments and offer all defendants fair and transparent trials.
Death of Imprisoned Student in Iran (1/23)
The United States is deeply concerned about the tragic death under suspicious circumstances of Ebrahim Lotfallahi, an Iranian student of Kurdish descent detained by the Ministry of Intelligence on January 6. We call on Iranian authorities to conduct a full investigation.
The Iranian regime continues to deprive its citizens of a future free of fear, abuse, and arbitrary arrest. We urge the regime to release all individuals held without due process and a fair trial, including the three young Baha'i teachers being held in a Ministry of Intelligence detention center in Shiraz and the three Amir Kabir University students that prison authorities refuse to free despite an order issued by an Iranian judge in late December.
Iran Should Allow Legitimate Passage Through Strait of Hormuz
Department Spokesman McCormack (Jan. 7): "...we would urge Iran to refrain from any provocative actions that could lead to dangerous incidents in the future. ...There are a number of military as well as commercial vessels that have legitimate passage through the Strait of Hormuz... it's important to have that legitimate commerce continue through the Strait of Hormuz and through the Persian Gulf." Full Text l Secretary Rice's Interview With BBC Arabic TV | | |
