All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity

All-Party Group’s Chair concerned about Iran’s call for mass executions

Ottawa, (July 7, 2009) – Paul Dewar, Chair of the Canadian All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and other Crimes against Humanity (the APPG), has expressed deep concern about the Iranian authorities’ incitement of mass executions of political opponents.

With most journalists now banned from Iran, it is difficult to gauge the extent of the atrocities being committed. However, witness accounts and official statements carried on Iranian media indicate that Iran’s senior clerics have called for Iran’s protest leaders to be punished “without mercy” and to face execution. Iran’s clergy has ordered long sentences and hangings before and has already detained hundreds of people, including journalists, academics and university students.

“We call for an end to hostilities against peaceful protests and an immediate release of political prisoners,” Dewar said. “Executing and torturing political detainees is a crime against humanity and a massive violation of human rights.”

Under international law, extensive atrocities committed as part of state policy constitute crimes against humanity. Iranian leaders initiating, ordering or acquiescing in such acts are individually responsible.

“We condemn these arrests of peaceful protestors and the use of executions to ‘punish’ political opponents,” Dewar concluded, “and we call on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience including Canadian-Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari.”

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