At Least 8 Prisoners Executed in Iran; Letter from Dozens of Lawyers Condemns Crackdown on Protesters
Human rights sources have reported the execution of several prisoners in prisons in Rajaei Shahr, Qarchak, Zahedan, and Mashhad over recent days.
Iran Human Rights Organization reported on Thursday, the 5th of Khordad, that judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran executed eight prisoners on Wednesday morning in Rajaei Shahr Prison in Alborz Province.
Iran Human Rights Organization identified six of these individuals as “Ramin Arab, Abbas Beitparvan, Gholam-Hossein Zeinali, Ali Nosrati, Ali Montazeri, and Vahid Mianabadi.”
Hrana, the news agency of the Iranian Human Rights Activists Network, however, reported the execution of 10 people in its report. Hrana stated that the charges against “Abbas Beitparvan, Ali Nosrati and Gholam-Hossein Zeinali” were “murder” and the charge against “Ramin Arab” was “moharebeh” (enmity against God).
Hrana’s report also mentioned the execution of a prisoner named “Abdullah Barahui” on charges related to drugs on the 31st of Ordibehesht in Zahedan Central Prison.
Also, according to a report by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on the 4th of Khordad, the General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Tehran announced the execution of a prisoner with the initials “R.A.” on charges of “moharebeh through armed robbery,” which appears to be the same “Ramin Arab.”
Furthermore, according to Rokna news agency on the 1st of Khordad, “Elias Q.,” a 29-year-old prisoner, was executed on charges of “murder” in Mashhad Prison.
Also, Arash Sadeghi, a human rights defender in Iran, reported the execution of a woman named “Maryam Mala-Saeidi” in Qarchak Varamin Prison.
According to Mr. Sadeghi, Ms. Mala-Saeidi was executed “on charges of murder” and prison authorities had taken another woman named “Sinober Jalali” along with her to solitary confinement for execution, but she has now been returned to her cell.
The execution of these prisoners coincided with widespread protests in some areas of Iran. According to Bahraini, a researcher at Amnesty International, the Islamic Republic uses capital punishment as a tool of oppression and suppression.
Meanwhile, according to a report by the Emtedad website, 85 lawyers, while condemning the violent suppression of protesters by security forces, described it as “violent, criminal and contrary to all standards” and based on “an illegal order,” and called for “respect for the dignity and human and civil rights of protesters.”
Among the signatories of this lawyers’ statement are names such as Giti Pourfazel, Payam Derfshan, Amir Raeisian, Arash Keykhosravi and Mohammad Seifzadeh.
The Islamic Republic of Iran last year, by executing at least 314 death sentences, once again ranked second after China in the world and was thus responsible for 54 percent of all recorded executions globally.
This figure represents the highest recorded number since 2017 in Iran and accounts for 60 percent of all Middle Eastern executions.
Source: Voice of America
