A political prisoner was lashed 80 times a month before being granted leave in Tehran.

According to the Human Rights News Agency, the prisoner was identified as 35-year-old futsal coach Kianoush Salatini. Kianoush was initially sentenced to 19 years and six months of prison, which was later reduced to 5 years of prison and 80 lashes.

Kianoush was detained on January 8, 2018, by security forces and transferred to Section 2 of Evin Prison. He was interrogated for two months, then transferred to Section 4.

Kianoush was charged with “assembly and collusion against national security”, “blasphemy”, “spreading propaganda against the state and insulting the Leadership”. He was sentenced to lashes for drinking alcohol.

His flogging sentenced was carried out last month.

Even though Kianoush had been in prison for 3 years and six months, judiciary officials constantly declined his request to go on leave up to now. He was sent on leave on July 10 for ten days.

Last month, there were at least 20 cases of flogging sentences issued by Iran’s courts.

Iran’s use of degrading punishments and torture

The Iranian regime is one of the few states that still uses degrading punishments, even though all international civil and political rights conventions have prohibited the use of inhumane punishments such as execution and flogging.

Flogging is regularly handed out by the regime to its political opponents including protesters, and dissidents.

More than 100 “offenses” are punishable by flogging under Iranian law. The offenses include theft, assault, vandalism, defamation, extramarital relationships, and fraud. They also cover acts that should not be criminalized, such as adultery, intimate relationships between unmarried men and women, “breach of public morals” and consensual same-sex sexual relations.

Source » irannewswire