A/HRC/25/26 9. On 1 November 2013, the Secretary-General expressed serious concern about the reported hanging of 16 people on 26 October 2013, in the city of Zahedan, and called on the Government to establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty. The 16 individuals, belonging to the Baloch community, were reportedly executed in response to the killings of 14 border guards by an armed group at the border with Pakistan. There is no reported proof that those executed were involved in the incident, as all 16 individuals had previously been tried, convicted and sentenced to death well before the incident took place. Eight out of the 16 individuals were sentenced to death for drug-related offences. The public prosecution service confirming the executions stated that they were carried out in response to the attack.5 On the same day, Habibullah Golparipour and Reza Esmaili, both Kurdish prisoners, were allegedly executed after having been sentenced to death for charges including fesad fil-arz (corruption on earth) and muharaba (enmity against God), and for alleged links to the armed Party for a Free Life of Kurdistan, or PJAK.6 On 4 November, Shirko Moarefi, a Kurdish political and civil activist, who was sentenced to death on the charge of muharaba, membership of the Komalah Party, and acting against national security, was also executed.7 2. Torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment 10. The recurrence of cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, such as amputation of limbs and flogging remains a cause for concern. The judiciary has frequently applied punishments which are prohibited by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the Islamic Republic of Iran is a State party. The revised Islamic Penal Code provides for limb amputations for offences including muharaba and theft, and flogging for drinking alcohol, theft and certain sexual offences. On 7 January 2013, the head of the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic of Iran defended punishments such as amputation, arguing that the proper implementation of Islamic law could prevent crimes. He stressed that amputation of the hands of a robber or of the limbs of a mohareb was in the interest of society and effective in crime reduction.8 On 31 July 2013, the judiciary in Abadan issued amputation and flogging sentences for a group of people accused of theft. According to the chief of the judiciary in Abadan, one of the group was sentenced to amputation of fingers and 99 lashes for theft and illegitimate sexual relations, whereas the others were sentenced to 74 lashes each for illegitimate sexual relations, along with prison sentences for theft.9 On 29 August 2013, a man accused of drug trafficking was publicly punished with 70 lashes in the city of Saveh. The General and Revolutionary Prosecutor announced that the accused was involved in drug trafficking.10 3. Conditions of detention 11. The Secretary-General is concerned about the lack of access to timely and applicable health care inside prisons and the conditions in which prisoners are held. The prison authorities reportedly deny health care to individuals who are in urgent need of external medical care. Various special procedures sent a number of communications to the 5 6 7 8 9 10 Official Fars news agency, 26 October 2013, available at http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13920804000374. Ibid. The authorities allege that Mr. Moarefi had participated in military operations and was a member of the Koumele terrorist group. Semi-official news, Tasnim news agency, 7 January 2014, available at http://www.tasnimnews.com/Home/Single/242758. Semi-official news, Mehr news agency, 31 July 2013, available at http://www.mehrnews.com/detail/news/2107061. Radio Zamaneh news, 30 August 2013, available at www.radiozamaneh.com/94830#.UiL9XjNDAM, and www.iribnews.ir/NewsText.aspx?ID=2060544. 5