Death Sentence of Kurdish Political Prisoner Accused of Murder Upheld; Poor Physical Condition of Abbas Vahedian Shahrudi

Reports published by several human rights organizations indicate the confirmation of a death sentence for a Kurdish political prisoner accused of killing a Revolutionary Guard member, poor physical conditions for Abbas Vahedian Shahrudi in solitary confinement, the execution of Farhad Salehi Jobhdar, and the resumption of protests by Haft Tappeh sugar plant workers in Iran.

• Death Sentence of Kurdish Political Prisoner Accused of Murder of Revolutionary Guard Member Upheld

According to several human rights organizations, the death sentence of a Kurdish political prisoner accused of killing a Revolutionary Guard member was confirmed by Branch 31 of Iran’s Supreme Court and delivered to him at the central prison in Urmia.

According to the human rights website “Hengaw,” on Tuesday, September 27, the death sentence of Shaker Behroozi, from the village of Dizaj Margowr in the Urmia area, which was issued on December 20, 2020, by the first criminal court of Urmia, was delivered to him in recent days.

Mr. Behroozi is accused of killing a Revolutionary Guard member named Mamel Mohammadi. According to “Hengaw,” the heirs were forced to file a complaint under pressure from Revolutionary Guard intelligence forces. However, according to Hengaw, twelve witnesses testified that Shaker Behroozi was in his village at the time of the murder.

The report adds that Mr. Behroozi confessed to the murder under torture and was denied the right to have a lawyer during court proceedings.

• Poor Physical Condition of Abbas Vahedian Shahrudi

Based on reports published on social networks, one month after the arrest of Abbas Vahedian Shahrudi, one of the signatories of the letter calling for Ayatollah Khamenei’s resignation and transition from the Islamic Republic, his health status has been reported as poor.

Mr. Vahedian Shahrudi’s Telegram channel, in publishing this news, reported that on Wednesday, September 28, during a phone call with his wife Shahla Jahanbeen, he informed her of his poor physical condition and said that he had repeatedly suffered from high blood pressure, headaches, and severe neck pain in recent days, suffered from toothache, and his gums have been bleeding.

Abbas Vahedian Shahrudi, a teacher and civil activist, was arrested at his home on Wednesday, September 1, by security forces and remains in detention.

• Death Sentence of Farhad Salehi Jobhdar Carried Out in Iran

Amnesty International reported the execution of the death sentence of Farhad Salehi Jobhdar, a prisoner accused of sexually assaulting a child.

Amnesty International announced the news on Wednesday, September 28, on Twitter: “Iranian authorities once again shamelessly demonstrated their disrespect for the right to life and ignored their international obligations.”

The tweet continued: “Justice is never achieved by taking a life.”

Diana Al-Tahawy, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa office, on Tuesday, September 27, called the execution “the most cruel and inhumane” form of punishment and called on Iranian authorities to stop the execution of this prisoner and suspend executions until capital punishment is completely abolished.

According to this human rights organization, based on court documents, the 30-year-old defendant was arrested after the complaint of the father of a 10-year-old boy in Alba province and was sentenced to death in the winter of 2019 by the first criminal court of Alba province for sexually assaulting the child.

• Workers at Haft Tappeh Sugar Company Held Another Protest Rally

Based on videos published on social networks, workers at Haft Tappeh Company held another protest gathering in the factory premises for the second consecutive day in their new round of protests.

According to the Telegram channel of the “Haft Tappeh Sugar Workers’ Syndicate,” workers at the company gathered on Wednesday, September 28, in the factory and again demanded attention to their grievances and the reversal of the conviction of Farzaneh Zilabi, the lawyer defending Haft Tappeh workers.

They also demanded that the status of the company and its board of directors be clarified following the removal from private ownership, payment of their occupational demands, reinstatement of all fired workers, and the closing of the company’s Islamic Council office.

Haft Tappeh Agricultural and Industrial Sugar Company, with nearly half a century of history, is Iran’s oldest sugar production plant, and its workers have been demanding attention to their grievances, including payment of overdue wages, by holding dozens of gatherings since the company was transferred to the private sector in 2015.

Earlier, Voice of America reported, citing some news agencies, that “following court hearings in the winter of last year,” the ownership of Haft Tappeh Agricultural and Industrial Sugar Company was removed from private ownership and transferred to the state.