Iran amputates four fingers of two thieves with guillotine machine in rare Sharia law punishment

The two men had their fingers amputated under sharia law after being convicted of theft, according to human rights groups, who said the punishment defied international law

Iranian authorities have amputated the fingers of two men convicted of theft, human rights groups have said.

The brothers of Kurdish origin were subjected to the rare punishment under the Islamic republic's strict penal code, which is based on an interpretation of sharia law. They had four fingers on their right hands amputated by a guillotine machine on Tuesday at the prison in the city of Urmia, a report said. Both of them were then taken to hospital.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said Shahab and Mehrdad Teimouri had been arrested for theft in 2019 and handed a prison sentence that included finger amputation. The Hengaw organisation, an NGO which covers human rights violations in Kurdistan and across all of Iran, said the brothers had been denied personal visits and communications since the amputation. Observers say the use of amputation as punishment is illegal under international law.

A spokesperson for the the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran said: "Amputations as a form of punishment are banned under international law, specifically under the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment as outlined in the Convention Against Torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a signatory."

Finger amputations are permitted in Iran but are not routinely carried out. According to the Abdorrahman Boroumand Centre, authorities have amputated the fingers of at least 131 men so far this century. This typically involves four fingers of the right hand being cut off, leaving only the palm of the hand and thumb.

In 2022, officials from Amnesty International slammed the Iranian regime after a man was denied medical treatment after having his fingers amputated in Tehran's Evin prison. Sayed Barat Hosseini was administered the punishment without anaesthetic and was told he could pay to have his fingers frozen and surgically reattached - but did not have the money to do this.

Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: “These amputations are particularly harrowing displays of the Iranian authorities’ contempt for human rights and dignity. Amputation is judicially-sanctioned torture and, therefore, a crime under international law, and all those who were involved in ordering or implementing these corporal punishments should be prosecuted in fair trials.”