IRAN: 22 PRISONERS HANGED

September 18, 2011: According to the Iranian government daily "Iran", 22 prisoners were hanged in the prisons of Evin (Tehran) and Rajaei Shahr (Karaj, west of Tehran) for drug-related crimes.
According to official Iranian sources at least 50 people are executed since the beginning of September.
The human rights group "Iranian activists for human rights and democracy" (IAHD) has reported about transfer of 37 prisoners from the Ghezel hesar prison of Karaj to Evin and Rajaei Shahr prisons for execution. According to IAHD, two of those executed were minor offenders and identified as Vahid Moslemi and Mohammad Norouzi (both Afghan citizens and 17 years old when arrested).
According to this report several of those executed are Afghan citizens.
The executions that were confirmed by the official Iranian sources seem to include the same prisoners that were reported by IAHD. However, the number of the executions reported by the official sources is lower than IAHD reported.
According to the government newspaper Iran, the 22 prisoners are identified as:
Muhammad Kh. for selling 59 kilograms of opium, Muhammad N. for transfer of 480 grams of heroin into the prison (Minor?), Avaz P. for organizing a drug smuggling gang and keeping 683 kilograms of opium, Agha H. for membership in a drug trafficking gang and keeping drugs, Jan B. for transfer of 425 grams of heroin into the prison, Ali J. for transfer of 385 grams of crack inside the prison, Saadi S. for keeping 908 grams of crack and 7,5 grams of opium and 15 grams of burnt opium, Ismail M. for distribution of 150 kilograms of opium, selling 50 kg "drugs" and keeping 20 kg of opium, Hassan T. for transfer of 265 grams of heroin into the prison, Mehdi P. for keeping 67 kg crack and 36 kg opium, Muhammad A. participation in trafficking of 702 grams of concentrated heroin and transferring 50 grams of heroin inside the prison, Abbas A. for keeping 2 kg and 200 grams of heroin, Omid Kh. for selling 4 kg heroin, Vahid M. (minor?) for transfer of 307 grams of crack into the prison, Saeed M. for participation in the carrying one kilogram of concentrated heroin, Ali P. for transfer of 410 grams of concentrated heroin inside the prison, Sharam Sh. for transfer of 670 grams of concentrated heroin into the prison, Abdulmajid M. for transfer of 391 grams of concentrated heroin into the prison, Karim Gh. for selling 49 kg and 500 grams of opium, Majid F. for transfer of 346 grams of concentrated heroin into the prison, Ali N. for transfer of 420 grams of concentrated heroin into the prison, and Hatem M. for transfer of 290 grams of concentrated heroin into the prison. (Sources: Iran Human Rights, 19/09/2011)