Execution of Canadian Web Programmer in Iran may be imminent
In October 2008, Toronto resident Saeed Malekpour visited his dying father in Iran and during his visit he was arrested by Iranian authorities who accused him of designing and moderating pornographic websites.
Malekpour had designed photo uploading software and according to his supporters that software was being used without his knowledge for the creation of an adult website.
According to Amnesty International Malekpour was convicted in a short trial and was sentenced to death in October 2011.
Today CNN reported that Malekpour’s death sentence may be imminent.
Iran’s Supreme Court confirmed the sentence on January 17. Malekpour’s lawyers have been unable to ascertain the whereabouts of his court files since Tuesday and fear this could be an indicator that an executioner could carry out the sentence soon, Amnesty said. A court official suggested to the lawyers that the file had been sent to the Office for the Implementation of Sentences, according to Amnesty.
Malekpour’s supporters have created Facebook pages and websites in his support dating back to 2009. Amnesty International has requested on its website that concerned individuals write Iranian authorities inside and outside the country to demand that Malekpour not be executed.
