Nazanin Afshin-jam and SCE Campaign wish to thank Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs , honorable Peter McKay and the Canadian Government for their immediate response to Nazanin’s urgent request to intervene in Sina Paymard’s execution yesterday. Ottawa issued a strong statement yesterday to Iranian authorities about Sina:
http://news.gc.ca:80/web/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=341929
Canada Calls upon Iran to Overturn Death Sentence of Sina Paymard
July 17, 2007
No. 94
The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, made an urgent appeal today to Iranian authorities to overturn the death sentence of Sina Paymard.
“Canada calls upon the Iranian government to stay the execution sentence given to Sina Paymard for a crime he was convicted of committing while a minor.
“The Government of Iran must live up to its commitments and obligations under international law as well as its own domestic law. The Islamic Republic of Iran is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Both of these international binding agreements clearly prohibit the execution of minors or people who have been convicted of crimes committed while they were minors.
“The execution of minors is a subject of the utmost concern for Canada, and we urge Iranian authorities to commute the death sentence in this case.”