Five Prison Guards Convicted of ‘Negligence’ in Prisoner Escape from Saghez Prison

Mojtaba Shiroud Bozorgi, head of the judicial organization of the armed forces in Kurdistan Province, announced on Wednesday the conviction of five prison guards at Saghez Central Prison for ‘negligence’ during the escape of dozens of inmates.

Following the widespread outbreak of coronavirus in Iran and the granting of furloughs to a number of prisoners and the deprivation of many others, Saghez Central Prison in Kurdistan Province witnessed a prison riot and the escape of 74 inmates. Human rights groups say hundreds of prisoners were held in unsanitary conditions at Saghez Central Prison, and prisoners and their families were concerned about the inmates contracting the virus.

Mojtaba Shiroud Bozorgi explained the circumstances of the prisoner escape, stating that as a result of “negligence by a number of Saghez prison guards, the inside and outside supervisory officers, and the spaces that resulted from pressure and clashes among inmates, conditions were created for some inmates to take advantage and for 74 prisoners to escape.”

According to him, those responsible for the incident were “identified,” and after supplementary investigations, charges were filed against them.

The head of the judicial organization of the armed forces in Kurdistan Province, noting that “six case files were opened in this connection,” stated: “Various hearings on these cases were held, as a result of which five individuals were convicted, but they still have the opportunity to appeal.”

This armed forces judiciary official made no mention of the length of the convictions and did not disclose the identities of those convicted.

Mostafa Salimi was among the prisoners who escaped from Saghez Central Prison along with another group of inmates, but was arrested a few days later in Iraqi Kurdistan and extradited to Iran, and his death sentence was carried out two weeks later in Saghez Prison.

Mostafa Salimi was 53 years old and from Ilo village in Saghez. He was arrested in March 2003 and was convicted of “moharebeh” (enmity against God) and “membership in Kurdish opposition parties” in the first branch of Saghez Revolutionary Court, a verdict that was also upheld by the Supreme Court.

Source: Radio Farda