Reports received by Iran HRM indicate that two prisoners in Iran, Shahrad Teimouri and Mehrdad Teimouri, both of whom were previously sentenced to finger amputation on charges of theft, face an increased risk of punishment following their recent transfer to solitary confinement.
The two brothers, sentenced in August 2019 by Branch One of the Criminal Court in Urmia, underwent medical evaluations prior to the transfer, a customary step preceding the execution of such sentences.
These prisoners were moved to solitary confinement on October 23, 2024, after being examined by forensic medical teams to confirm they have no medical conditions that could complicate the procedure.
The brothers’ amputation sentences were initially confirmed in April 2020 by Iran’s Supreme Court, placing them in a position to face execution of the punishment.
Similar cases involve at least seven other prisoners currently held in Urmia Prison on amputation sentences, including:
- Mehrdad Teimouri, 44
- Mehdi Sharifian, 42
- Hadi Rostami, 38
- Mehdi Shahivand, 47
- Shahrad Teimouri, 40
- Kasra Karami, 45
- Morteza Esmaeilian, 48
Although some of these sentences have been reviewed due to procedural flaws, Iran’s Supreme Court has recently reaffirmed the penalties, reportedly to maintain an atmosphere of intimidation.
The practice of amputation as punishment contravenes multiple principles of international human rights law, which underscore the protection of human dignity and the prohibition of torture and inhumane treatment. Key international frameworks that explicitly oppose such punishments include:
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
Article 5 states, “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” - International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) (1966)
Article 7 prohibits torture or any form of inhuman or degrading treatment, condemning punishments like amputation as inhumane and degrading. - Convention Against Torture (1984)
Article 1 defines torture as any act causing severe physical or mental suffering used as punishment, which amputation would fall under. - United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules)
These rules mandate the humane treatment of prisoners, rejecting penalties that endanger physical or mental health, such as amputation, as unethical and illegal.
The imposition of amputations, particularly for theft-related offenses, stands in sharp contrast to systemic corruption and financial abuses by government officials in Iran, which have severely impacted the nation’s economy and contributed to widespread poverty. Critics argue that policies enabling harsh punishments like amputation, disproportionately affecting vulnerable individuals, are a calculated effort to instill fear among the populace amid a backdrop of economic hardship and rising crime.
