Iran Amputates Fingers of Three Prisoners in West Azerbaijan

Iranian authorities amputated four fingers from the right hands of three prisoners convicted of theft in Urmia Central Prison, using a guillotine device under the presence of senior judicial and prison officials. The men—Hadi Rostami, Mehdi Sharafian, and Mehdi Shahivand—were sentenced in 2019 following trials criticized as grossly unfair, which relied on torture-tainted confessions and denied them proper legal representation. The amputations were carried out despite international condemnation, with human rights groups and the UN Special Rapporteur denouncing the practice as torture and a violation of international law, specifically the ICCPR to which Iran is a party. After the amputations, the prisoners received minimal medical treatment and were returned to prison without adequate care or psychological support. This punishment, rooted in Iran's Sharia-based penal code, is rare and generally reserved for repeat offenders, yet it continues to provoke outrage for its brutality and disregard for human dignity. Calls have been made for international investigations and prosecutions of officials responsible for ordering and executing these acts of mutilation.