Amputation of Two Prisoners’ Hands in Isfahan: A Gross Violation of Human Rights and International Obligations
11-June-2025
Category: Prisoners
11 June 2025
News Category: Prisoners
Breathing in Confinement – Tuesday, 11 June 2025: The inhumane and medieval punishment of hand amputation was carried out against two prisoners accused of theft in Isfahan.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, and citing the Public Relations Office of the Isfahan Provincial Judiciary, the sentences of hand amputation for the two individuals were executed. Asadollah Jafari, the head of the provincial judiciary, stated that the verdicts were implemented following trials at the lower court, appeals court, and final confirmation by the Supreme Court.
The enforcement of such punishment—an obvious example of inhumane treatment and a blatant affront to inherent human dignity—once again underscores the systematic violation of human rights by the regime. Amputation, as a form of corporal punishment, not only causes irreversible physical harm but also inflicts profound and long-lasting psychological trauma on the individuals involved and the broader community.
Despite repeated international condemnation, the Islamic Republic continues to impose and carry out such punishments. This is in stark contrast to its obligations as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The implementation of punishments like amputation is a clear breach of these commitments and runs counter to the fundamental principles of justice, humanity, and human dignity.
Such punishments—especially within a judicial system lacking transparency and fair trial guarantees—are widely viewed as tools of public intimidation and political control.