Ahwaz: Relative of Executed Brothers Demand Judges to Be Held Accountable for Judicial Wrongdoing
A relative of two Ahwazi brothers, Mehdi and Abdulreza Nawaseri, who had been executed in 2006, is calling on the international community to issue an arrest warrant for the two Iranian judges who had sentenced the brothers to death on trumped-up charges of being involved in bomb attacks in Ahwaz. Human rights groups highlighted the lack of evidence and secrecy of the trials – all amounting to a kangaroo trial well below international standards of justice and fair procedure. Abdulreza Nawaseri, for instance, was already serving a sentence for insurgency at the time of the bomb attacks, for which he too did not receive a fair trial.
Below is an article published by Ahwaz News:
A relative of two executed Ahwazi Arabs is calling on the international community to issue a warrant for the arrest of two Iranian judges for human rights abuses.
Farzad Farhadi-Rad is the head of the Revolutionary Court in Khuzestan province and cleric Judge Rahmani works in branch 11 of the Ahwaz Revolutionary Court. Rahmani ordered the execution of Mehdi Nawaseri and Abdulreza Nawaseri in 2006. Meanwhile, Farhadi-Rad has presided over a judicial system that prevents the accused from accessing legal representation and falling well below international standards of justice.
The relative, who fled to Australia after he served a two year prison sentence is arguing that serious human rights abuses had occurred.
The two brothers were accused of involvement in bomb attacks in Ahwaz. At the time of their prosecution, human rights groups had highlighted the lack of evidence, the secrecy of the trials and the lack of independent and impartial observers.
The lawyers did not have an opportunity to meet with their clients to discuss their case with them, but had to prepare a defence based on the prosecution file presented to them.
Abdolreza Nawaseri was already serving a prison sentence for insurgency at the time of the bomb attacks for which the regime claims he was responsible.
"These men are accused of serious crimes, but they clearly haven't had a fair trial," said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch, when the brothers were sentenced. "We always oppose the death penalty, because it is cruel and flawed. But sentencing people to death after such an inadequate trial is especially outrageous."
Executions following dubious trials continue under the direction of the province's revolutionary courts. Recently three Ahwazi Arabs from Hamidiyeh were executed on the orders of Farhadi-Rad on unfounded allegations that they had attacked security personnel.
