Eight men in Iran face amputation for theft as Islamic practice persists

Eight people accused of theft in Tehran have been issued indictments recommending hand amputations as the country continues the punishment banned under international law.

The case, which involves allegations of stealing valuable items from homes in northern Tehran, has been referred to the Tehran Provincial Criminal Court, according to a Sunday report by the state-run Iran newspaper.

“As the number of plaintiffs in this theft ring reached 46, police reviewed surveillance footage from around the crime scenes. They discovered that the members of this gang entered homes in groups of four or five,” wrote Iran.

The defendants face charges of stealing gold, jewelry, US dollars, and luxury carpets, with the stolen goods valued at about five hundred billion rials ($800,000). The suspects were identified through police investigations and surveillance footage and arrested shortly after the thefts, which began in the summer of 2022.

The punishment, as described in the indictment by Branch Five of Tehran’s Special Theft Prosecutor’s Office, is rooted in the “hadd” law under Iran's Islamic Penal Code. This law prescribes harsh penalties for theft, including amputation, based on Islamic jurisprudence.

The first offense guidelines mandate the amputation of four fingers from the right hand. For repeat offenders, harsher punishments follow: the second theft results in the amputation of the left foot, the third leads to life imprisonment, and the fourth can result in execution.

The sentencing has drawn attention, particularly from international human rights groups. Pegah Bani Hashemi, a senior legal researcher at the University of Chicago, commented on the severity of the punishments in an interview with Iran International, stating: “While countless embezzlements happen in Iran and the individuals involved often spend just a few years in prison, how can it be acceptable that someone stealing minor items faces amputation?"

Bani Hashemi also highlighted that such punishments go against international human rights conventions, noting, “All punishments that involve torture, including amputation, are considered illegal under international law. This has no place in modern justice systems.”

The practice of amputation as punishment in Iran continues despite mounting criticism from the United Nations, Amnesty International, and other human rights organizations. In July, the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights organization reported that four prisoners at Urmia Central Prison were at risk of amputation for theft. The group has documented similar cases, including a man who had his fingers amputated in February for stealing five sheep.

Iranian civil society organizations report that between January 1, 2000, and September 24, 2020, at least 237 individuals, primarily from impoverished backgrounds, have received amputation sentences in Iran, with at least 129 of those sentences being carried out.

The continued implementation of amputation sentences in Iran occurs despite the country being a member of the United Nations and having signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

According to Article 7 of this covenant, “no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”