Iranian youth sentenced to death accused of homosexual relations

An Iranian youth in Tabriz has been sentenced to death by hanging for the charge of having homosexual relations.

Mohammad Mostafai, attorney for the accused announced that three other people accused in the case were acquitted of the same crime.

According to Iranian law, homosexual relations are against the law and given the death penalty.

Mohammad Mostafai maintained that Hamid Taghi, Ebrahim Hamidi, Mehdi Pouran and Mohammad Rezai were accused of having homosexual relations and were sentenced to death in the preliminary court. Mosatafai adds after appealing to the Supreme Court, three of them were acquitted while Ebrahim Hamidi’s death sentence was upheld.

Mosatafai also maintains that the plaintiff in the case has said that his parents forced him to make a complaint and Ebrahim Hamidi has in no way sexually assaulted him.

Other reports from Iran also tell of the issuance of Sakineh Mohammadi’s death by stoning sentence for the crime of adultery.

Sakineh Mohammdi’s two children in a letter have appealed to the world to help stop the execution of their mother.

According to an Amnesty International report in 2009 over 388 people were executed in Iran.