Benhoud who was 17 years old at the time of the street quarrel which lead to the death of another boy, was scheduled to be put to death on Tuesday May 7th . However, due to international pressure, Iran’s head of judiciary postponed the death penalty for one month.
Mediation Judge Jaberi told the Etemaad daily : “The victim’s family insist on death penalty for Behnoud but we will continue to try to obtain a reconciliation.”
According to Islamic sharia laws in Iran, victims’ families can either demand the implementation of the death sentence or receive blood money retribution instead.
By shifting the responsibility of the child executions to the families of the victims ,when under international pressure, the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic tries to relieve itself from responsibility of ordering the death penalty of juveniles.
In direct violation of signed UN conventions, the regime of Iran currently holds more than 100 juveniles in the execution row.