Eight Iranian men convicted of theft are in imminent risk of having their fingers cut off, an NGO warned on Friday.
The men are being held in the Greater Tehran prison waiting for their fingers on one hand to be amputated, the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran (ABC) said in a statement.
On June 8, all eight were summoned for transfer to Evin for the amputation, which was postponed for unknown reasons, according to reports.
In a joint statement with the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), the ABC said it was concerned by “credible reports” that the device had now been installed in a clinic in Evin and had already been used for at least one amputation in recent days.
“Carrying out such a cruel and inhuman punishment violates the minimum standards of humanity and decency,” said ABC executive director Roya Boroumand.
“The international community can and should react urgently to stop the implementation of these amputations,” she added.
Finger amputations are permitted in the Islamic republic under sharia law but have been rarely carried out until now.
