Ambassador of Iran summoned to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Press release 128/2009
8 May, 2009

Ambassador Reza Nazarahari, the Iranian ambassador to Finland, was summoned today, 8 May, to the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs owing to the human rights violations in Iran. Delara Darabi, who had been sentenced to death for crimes committed as a minor, was executed in Iran on 1 May, and implementation of the death sentence threatens two other people sentenced for crimes committed as a minor.

Secretary of State Pertti Torstila condemned Delara Darabi’s death sentence and appealed to Iran not to implement the death sentence passed on two others for crimes committed as a a minor. The death sentences imposed on minors are in breach of international human rights conventions to which Iran is also committed. Secretary of State Torstila urged Iran not to implement the death sentences. Finland also condemns the penalty of stoning implemented in Iran in March and calls on Iran to abandon the sentence of stoning altogether.

Additional information: First Secretary Päivi Alatalo, Unit for the Middle East and North Africa, tel. +358 9 1605 6278, First Secretary Janne Jokinen, Unit for Human Rights Policy, tel. +358 9 1605 5320