Senior Iranian official summoned after criticising executions

Shahindokht Molaverdi, vice president for women and family affairs, has been summoned to court after speaking about the executions in her country, AlKhaleejOnline.com reported yesterday.

A spokesperson for the Iranian judiciary said that Molaverdi was summoned after speaking about the execution of all the men in the Sistan-Baluchistan province, near the country’s border with both Pakistan and Afghanistan. She said the men had been executed on charges of drug smuggling, but their death would lead their families to turn to contraband to survive.

She made the remarks on 4 February during a discussion to support the families of those who were executed, Iranian Mehr news agency said. Judicial officials denied her claims and summoned her.

Iranian Judicial official Mohamed Ali Hamidiyan in the Sistan-Baluchistan province said that Molaverdi’s claims against the judicial system were false and baseless.

Ghulam Hussein Mohseni Ejeyie, spokesman of the Iranian judiciary, told journalists yesterday that Molaverdi had been summoned for questioning.

Molaverdi denied making the comments.

In a statement issued by her office earlier this month she wrote: “There was nothing to defame any province, spread false information against any authority or encourage external media to report regarding human rights issues that increase sanctions.”