Mohammad Hassanzadeh was 16 years and 11 months old when he was hanged on June 10, 2008 in Sanandaj. His father was not informed about the scheduled execution

Iran Human Rights, June 25: Mohammad Hassanzadeh, a minor offender who was hanged in the prison of Sanandaj on June 10, 2008, was 16 years and 11 months old, according to Mohammad Mostafaei, who is the lawyer of more than 21 minors sentenced to death.

Mohammad Hassanzadeh was convicted of a murder he had committed when he was 14 years and 11 months old.

According to the Iranian newspapers Etemaad e Melli and com/ShowNews.php?16156" class='spip_out' rel='external'>Kargozaran, and Mr Mostafaei’s blog, the death sentence of Mohammad was approved by the Iranian supreme court and execution order was given by head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Shahroudi.

Etemaad e Malli newspaper, also published a copy of Mohammad Hassanzadeh’s ID (picture above), showing his date of the birth, and confirming that he was 16 years and 11 months old at the time of execution. The newspaper also wrote that Mohammad Hassanzadeh’s father was not informed about the schaduled execution. According to the Iranian law, the parents are supposed to be informed about the scheduled execution of their child 48 hours prior to the execution.

However, during the past two weeks Iranian authorities have denied that minors are executed in Iran. Mr Jamshidi, the judiciary spokesman, said at a press conference " we don’t have death penalty for the minors in Iran, and the person who was executed in Sanandaj (Mohammad Hassanzadeh) was above the age of 18 at the time of execution". Ayatollah Mofid, head of the Iranian Supreme Court said in another press conference: "No minors are sentenecd to death in Iran. We only have "qesas" (the principle of eye for eye) for minors who have committed murder".

Makwan Moloudzadeh was executed in the prison of Kermanshah (west of Iran) convicted of raping another boy when they were both 13 years old.