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Japan | Hakamada found religion, but then felt under attack by ‘the devil’

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Editor's note: This is the last in a four-part series on letters that Iwao Hakamada wrote while on death row. About a decade after cursing God, Iwao Hakamada was baptized Catholic at the Tokyo Detention House on Dec. 24, 1984. “Since I have been given the Christian name Paul, I am keenly feeling that I should be aware of the greatness of Paul.” (June 1985)

Amnesty Urges Halt To Execution Of Man Arrested During Iran Protests

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Amnesty International has appealed to Iran's judiciary, urging an immediate halt to the execution plans for Mojahed Kourkour and the revocation of his death sentence.

Facing an imminent threat of execution in connection with the 2022 popular uprising, Kourkour received the distressing news on December 24 that the Supreme Court had affirmed his conviction and death sentence. With an increase in nationwide executions, his sentence has been slated for implementation while he remains in solitary confinement, enduring repeated incidents of torture, including severe beatings.

“If he is charged with a recognizable criminal offence, proceedings must meet international fair trial standards without recourse to the death penalty and exclude coerced confessions,” said Amnesty in a letter to Iran’s Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei.

The human rights organization further implored the Iranian regime to grant Kourkour immediate access to his family, independently chosen lawyer, and adequate medical care.

The rights group also urged Iran to permit independent observers' access to capital trials linked to protests and establish an official moratorium on executions with the eventual goal of abolishing the death penalty.

In early April 2023, Iran's judiciary sentenced Kourkour to death for charges including "enmity against God" (moharebeh), "corruption on earth," and "armed rebellion against the state." His trial was marred by severe unfairness, with authorities denying him access to his chosen lawyer, and coerced "confessions" broadcasted by Iranian state media shortly after his arrest in late December 2022.

Accused of involvement in the killing of a child named Kian Pirfalak during protests in Izeh, Khuzestan province, on November 16, 2022, Kourkour's case revealed the use of unlawful lethal force by plainclothes security officials during the Izeh protests. 

Despite authorities attributing the incident to "terrorists," the boy's family publicly rejected the claims, placing responsibility on the authorities.

Source: iranintl.com, Staff, January 6, 2024


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Location: Iran
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