Iranian Chief Justice Stops Execution of Gay Iranian

The impending death sentence of Makvan Mouloodzadeh, a 21-year old Iranian citizen found guilty of multiple counts of anal rape (ighab), allegedly committed when he was 13 years old, has been halted, it was learned today.

Today, the New York-based International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLRC) has learned that the Iranian Chief Justice, Ayatollah Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, has nullified the sentence, describing the death sentence to be in violation of Islamic teachings, the religious decrees of high-ranking Shiite clerics, and the law of the land.

“This is a stunning victory for human rights and a reminder of the power of global protest,” said Paula Ettelbrick, IGLHRC’s executive director, who on November 5 sent a letter in Persian and English asking that Iranian authorities intervene to halt the execution.

The verdict in Mr. Mouloodzadeh’s case was questionable from the outset, IGLHRC maintains.(keep reading)