Father of Hedayat Abdullahpour: My Son Was Executed Secretly Without Our Knowledge

Abubakar Abdullahpour has reported the secret execution of his son Hedayat Abdullahpour in the city of Ashnouyeh in Iran, and told the Human Rights Campaign in Iran that on Wednesday, the fourth of Tir month, a death certificate for this political prisoner was handed over to his family.

Mr. Abdullahpour told the campaign that on the death certificate, the date of execution was recorded as the 22nd of Ordibehesht month in 1399, and the cause of death was written as “impact of sharp objects.”

Hedayat Abdullahpour’s father said he has no information about the details of his son’s execution and where his body was transferred.

Hedayat Abdullahpour, an auto mechanic, was arrested in late Khordad 1395 in one of the villages of Ashnouyeh, a border city with a Kurdish population in West Azerbaijan Province, and was sentenced to death by the first branch of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia on charges of aiding and abetting rebellion. Hossein Ahmadi Niaz, Hedayat Abdullahpour’s lawyer, had told the campaign in Mehr month 1397 that the issuance of the execution order against his client on the charge of aiding and abetting rebellion had no legal, lawful, or religious justification, and in an unfair process with pressure and interference from security agencies was confirmed, and despite being overturned by the Supreme Court, was again confirmed and referred to the judiciary in Urmia for execution.

Hedayat Abdullahpour was arrested following clashes between the peshmerga of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan-Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in the village of “Qaresaqal” in Ashnouyeh.

However, Hedayat Abdullahpour’s lawyer told the campaign that his client was involved in the clash between the Guards and the Democratic Party without knowledge, intent, or will, and was unjustly convicted, and according to the testimony of local residents, played no role in the clashes: “Hedayat Abdullahpour was a car brake mechanic. In one of the villages of Ashnouyeh, a car broke down, they contacted him saying that Mr. Abdullahpour’s car brake was broken and needed repair. He went to repair it according to his profession and custom, but when he arrived, without any knowledge, intent, will, or choice, he found himself in the middle of this clash. He immediately left the village after repairing the car. According to the testimony of witnesses and the circumstances and confirmation by the people of the region, Hedayat Abdullahpour played no role in the clashes.”

Abubakar Abdullahpour, Hedayat Abdullahpour’s father, also said in an interview with the campaign: “My son had absolutely no presence in that clash, not by any account. Even the Friday prayer leader, the city council, and the local people signed documents that he was not in the clash, but they did not accept it, and now they say his sentence has been executed.”

Hedayat Abdullahpour’s father told the campaign: “Today they gave us the death certificate of my son, and through the death certificate we can confirm that they executed my son. But we have no other way—we have not seen his body, we have not witnessed his execution, and we have not seen his grave. He was in Urmia Central Prison and they took him to Ashnouyeh to execute the sentence, and they executed him there because the clash was in Ashnouyeh. They say they executed him in the presence of the families of those killed by the Guards. The relatives of those Guards members killed in that clash said they shot my son in front of them.”

He told the campaign: “In recent days we went several times with our lawyer to follow up. The prosecutor of Ashnouyeh said he has no information about whether the Guards transferred him elsewhere or not. I said, tell us whether he is alive or dead, he has a wife and children. His 6-year-old daughter is in Kurdistan and his 11-year-old son is in Sirvan, waiting with hope. Tell us what condition he is in. A few days later he called and said to go to the Urmia executions department. My brother and son and I went, they said our condolences and may his soul rest in peace. We asked what happened? He said they executed him in Ashnouyeh twenty days ago. We were hopeful it was not true, that it was a lie. I have not seen his body or his execution, but now I have his death certificate in my hand. I have no information about how they executed him, and now I want, if possible, to be given his body so we can shroud and bury him, or to be shown his grave. We do not know where and how he was buried. If possible, I would appreciate it if someone could inform his wife and children.”

Source: Human Rights Campaign