Temporary reprieve for Iranian child offender
Sina Paymard remains under sentence of death
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The execution of 18-year-old Sina Paymard, which was planned to take place on 17 July, has been postponed. Sina Paymard was sentenced to death in Iran for a crime committed when he was just 16 years old.
According to reports, Sina Paymard had been moved from Reja'i Shahr prison in Karaj to Tehran's Evin prison for his execution to be carried out on 17 July.
Sina Paymard's lawyer, human rights defender Nasrin Sotudeh, has reported that he was not executed, and his family have been given 10 days to reach a financial settlement with the victim's kin. If the money (blood money) is not raised, then Sina is likely to be executed.
Sina Paymard, a musician, was originally due to be executed in September last year for murder. On the gallows, Sina's last request was to play the ney (a Middle Eastern flute) just one more time.
The family of the victim were so moved by his playing that they granted him a last-minute reprieve. They asked for 150 million toumans (over US$160,000) as compensation instead. Sina's family have, so far, been unable to raise the full amount.
This temporary reprieve gives activists more time to campaign for Sina Paymard's life to be saved - take action to stop the execution (on Amnesty International's UK Section's website). For further information, please see:Iran: Execution of child offender imminent (Press Release, 17 July 2007)