Iran ignores nearly 100,000 signatures against child executions
MENA
The World Coalition delegation carrying 90,708 signatures against juvenile executions in the world was not admitted to the embassies of Iran and Saudi Arabia, in contrast to those of Sudan and Yemen.
A World Coalition delegation went to the embassies of the four countries that still execute juvenile offenders on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, on 20 November, 2009 in the morning.
Although the diplomatic representations of Sudan and Yemen received each a quarter of the petitions received to date by the World Coalition since World Day against the Death Penalty was held on October 10, 2009, the embassy of Iran rejected requests for a visit. The embassy of Saudi Arabia accepted to receive the petitions but refused to meet the delegation.
As the petitions are being mailed to the Iranian authorities, the World Coalition is alarmed at the announcement by the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict that the Sudanese authorities pronounced death sentence against six children.
The World Coalition delegation comprised members of ACAT France, ECPM, FIACAT, the National United Support Group to Mumia Abu Jamal and the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. To date, the World Coalition’s secretariat has received 90,708 signatures from 30 countries.
