Iran set to execute 18-year-old on false charge of sodomy

[Turborama]

Source: The Observer (UK)



The client of human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei has been sentenced to death in spite of retracted testimony -

Saeed Kamali Dehghan -
The Observer, Sunday August 8 2010 -

An 18-year-old Iranian is facing imminent execution on charges of homosexuality, even though he has no legal representation. Ebrahim Hamidi, who is not gay, was sentenced to death for lavat, or sodomy, on the basis of "judge's knowledge", a legal loophole that allows for subjective judicial rulings where there is no conclusive evidence.

Hamidi had been represented by human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei, who has since been forced to flee Iran after bringing to international attention the case of another of his clients, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year-old Iranian mother of two who has been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. Mostafaei was due to arrive in Norway yesterday to begin a life in exile while continuing his campaigns on behalf of his clients, including Hamidi.

At the same time, human rights activist Peter Tatchell has written to the foreign secretary, William Hague, urging him to contact the chief justice of Iran and ask that the execution be halted.

"Ebrahim's case is evidence that innocent heterosexual people can be sentenced to death on false charges of homosexuality ," said Tatchell, co-founder of the London-based gay rights group OutRage.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/08/iran-mohammad-mostafaei-rights-lawyer

[Trajan]

1. "judge's knowledge"

"I AM THE LAW !"

Judge Dredd

[Ken Burch]

2. I hope the kid can be saved.

The British government, despite Peter Tatchell's efforts, likely won't do anything. Tory governments don't tend to intervene in the cases of individual victims of persecution.

[Bobbieo]

3. Those people are batshit crazy!!!! It is a poor response but I am

at a loss for the proper words, right now.

[Ken Burch]

4. Who can say what the proper words would be?

n/t.

[aquart]

5. Any small chance the kid was part of the #iranelection protests?

Ahmadinejad is just becoming an executing fool. He can't seem to stop himself.

[jerseyjack]

6. We have our own taliban.

The Iranians are "batshit crazy" but don't forget the American Taliban who are supporting the execution of homosexuals in Uganda.

[disidoro01]

9. what?

I thought this was about an Iranian atrocity...my bad.

[Bluenorthwest]

13. It is about religious dogma promoters and the extremes

they go to. The fact that any American is involved in spreading hate in already suffering nations is a terrible thing. One crime does not make the other vanish.

[LostinVA]

20. "Hobby reading moronic comments" == interesting comment from your profile!

Where do you read these moronic comments? I might want to check the site out.

[MH1]

7. These are some sick societies.

Iran, Taliban, the sharia-based Islamic factions in Africa. (Of course Christianity has the Lord's Resistance Army which is just as sick, at least in its techniques of warfare).

[gleeindc]

8. Whether innocent or guilty

Outrageous, false accusations on top of an unjust law.

[davidinalameda]

10. and this is a regime that Chavez is so happy to ally himself with

what's the saying-you're known by the friends you keep

[daleo]

23. Saudi Arabia and U.S. are allies

Saudi Arabia is not a whole lot different from Iran as far as theocratic dogma goes.

Many more examples could be given.

[Warren Stupidity]

25. and that is a thread hijack of monumental proportions

congratulations, you must be so proud.

[olegramps]

11. I have increasing difficulty dredging up any respect for religious biased teachings.

This is especially the case in regard to Islamic teachings that are intolerant of religious and personal liberties and are completely devoid of compassion. The brainwashing that children undergo in religious schools makes me totally opposed to any financial support from my tax dollars. This applies informally to every religion.

[Joe Bacon]

12. This is what Maggie Gallagher and her ilk want to bring to America.

Make no mistake about it. This is what the Christian RIght wants to bring to America. Maggie Gallagher and her fellow bigots won't rest until they apply the same Final Solution to all gays and lesbians here in America. And they will gladly shout "Praise The Lord" and beg for a stone to toss at infidels just like in Iran.

[queerart]

14. You Are Very Correct.....

Here is a sign from one of their gatherings.....

[drm604]

15. Even if the charges were true

this is not something that he should be in prison for, let alone executed. This is something that should not be the business of any government.

[Jennicut]

28. Seriously, no one should be killed because they are gay. That is insane.

Religion in politics, it just doesn't belong.

[burnsei sensei]

16. Subjective law.

Quote:
a legal loophole that allows for subjective judicial rulings where there is no conclusive evidence.
end quote.

So much for the law being based on reason.

[dickthegrouch]

17. Frame the prosecutors!

I think every Iranian prosecutor (and idiot judge) should have false charges of sodomy laid against them. Let's see how quickly they change their minds then.

[iandhr]

18. I thought there were no gays Iran

[SoapBox]

19. "Truth and Fact" will never get in the way of Haters.

These Hater types will never let truth get in the way of them trying to
make their point...even if it means executing innocent persons.

Wake up America!

...a mirror image of that could happen here, if enough of the GOBPhaters/RushTurdHaters/TeaTalibanHaterBaggers,
get into power and control positions.

[DissedByBush]

21. "There are no homosexuals in Iran"

And now you know why.

[Bluenorthwest]

22. This is what the McClurkins and that ilk want to do in the US

When haters like him say gay people are trying to kill children, well, what do we do to child killers? This is what Donnie means. The Obamas hand selected him to be their surrogate on the campaign trail, without apology, calling him decent and moral.
And this is what it is all about.

[David Zephyr]

24. Murdering gay kids, bullying gay kids, pushing gay kids to suicide is the hallmark of religion.

While this story out of Iran is heartbreaking and upsetting, I know many Americans feel smug in how GLBT Americans are treated. Well, they shouldn't feel smug. At all.

It's a world-wide "family value" and sport, this destroying gay kids. And it's sick. And it's tolerated and sanctioned right here in the United States of America every single day.

[lebkuchen]

26. Homosexuality is illegal in the Iranian and US militaries.

The RWers should consider all the points of view they have in common with an extremely conservative regime before plotting their demise. It would sure save taxpayers a lot of money, not to mention lives.

[alp227]

27. Free Republic: "Bill Clinton should've had his affair with Monica in Iran."

I didn't check FR for that but some of the nastier posters might've said it. Others go along with the usual Islam-bashing; others might wish that America made extramarital sex a crime. (Yes, sometimes Americans have proposed so.)

[Theobald]

29. I'm not a fan of the headline of this article

'false charge of sodomy'. One can argue the merits of executing someone, one can argue the facts surrounding the executing of someone for committing a capital offense they did did not do, but the gist of this article should be about the fact someone is being executed for the charge of sodomy. The fact they are not guilty is tertiary; they are executing someone for something that shouldn't even be a crime! That is the horror. The fact that the person is not guilty is relevant, but in a sense immaterial.

Also the suggestion that sodomy is a purely homosexual act is incorrect and extremely ignorant.

Main Entry: sod·omy
Pronunciation: \ˈsä-də-mē\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French sodomie, from Late Latin Sodoma Sodom; from the homosexual proclivities of the men of the city in Gen 19:1–11
Date: 13th century
: anal or oral copulation with a member of the same or opposite sex; also : copulation with an animal
— sod·om·it·ic \ˌsä-də-ˈmi-tik\ or sod·om·it·i·cal \-ti-kəl\ adjective