On 12 November 2009, Iraq signed the Cluster Munitions Convention and became the 103rd country to sign the Convention. Defend International, along with other stakeholders, had urged Iraq several times to sign without delay the Convention on Cluster Munitions. “Iraq sent a strong message to the world that cluster bombs are illegitimate weapons of warfare and should not be used anymore,” said DI member from Iraq Mr. Fadhel Abbas.

After the execution of the political activist Ehsan Fatahiyan on November 11, 2009, 12 political activists are facing the same fate. Almost all of them have been accused of being a mohareb (“enemy of God”) and/or “endangering state security” and sentenced to death after unfair trials.

Defend International urges Iran to stop the execution of the political activist Mr. Shirkoh Moarefi and 11 others, and encourages the Iranian authorities to review death penalty in light of International Human Rights Law.

Defend International was informed by reliable sources that the political activist Mr. Ehsan Fatahiyan would be hanged on November 11, 2009. He was accused of being a mohareb (“enemy of God”) and “endangering state security”.