In 2024
02000 to present
0International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Convention on the Rights of the Child
22 January 2024 :
December 27, 2023 - 4 men executed in Ardabil on December 27
According to information that IHR obtained on January 6, on 27 December 2023, four men were executed at the prison. Their identities have been established as Yasin Khodakarami and Alireza Nejati who were for murder in the same case. Jebreil Fadayi, a Baluch man from Saravan and Ali Zaman Khani were on death row for drug-related charges.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6460/
20 July 2023 :
A judge at Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad, capital of the northeastern Razavi Khorasan Province, on July 19, 2023 sentenced to death Mohammad Javad Vafa’i Thani, a political prisoner sympathizing with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
Sentenced on the bogus charge of “corruption on Earth,” Mr. Vafa’i Thani was taken to an unknown location after being informed of his death sentence on July 19.
Mr. Vafa’i Thani, 27, among the boxing champions in Mashhad’s boxing clubs, was arrested in March 2020 and tortured for a long time.
The Iranian Resistance calls on the United Nations, the European Union, and member states, as well as all human rights organizations and bodies to take urgent action to save the life of this political prisoner and prevent his execution after serving a four-year prison term.
As of December 2022, Harm Reduction International (HRI) recorded at least 285 executions for drug offences globally during the year, a 118% increase from 2021, and an 850% increase from 2020.
Read everything20 March 2023 :
As of December 2022, Harm Reduction International (HRI) recorded at least 285 executions for drug offences globally during the year, a 118% increase from 2021, and an 850% increase from 2020.
Executions for drug offences are confirmed or assumed to have taken place in six countries: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, plus in China, North Korea and Vietnam - on which exact figures cannot be provided because of extreme opacity. Therefore, this figure is likely to reflect only a percentage of all drug-related executions worldwide. Confirmed death sentences for drug offences were also on the rise; with at least 303 people sentenced to death in 18 countries. This marks a 28% increase from 2021.
While more countries abolished the death penalty in 2022, the use of capital punishment for drug offences is going in a markedly different direction, impinging on the likelihood of achieving global abolition. Despite the adoption of a new UN General Assembly Resolution for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, with historic support from 125 countries (compared to 123 in 2020), known executions for drug offences are back to amounting to over 30% of all global executions - the highest recorded figures since 2017.
35 countries retain the death penalty for a range of drug offences worldwide. In 2022, drug-related executions were confirmed in four countries (China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Singapore). Executions are assumed to have been carried out in North Korea and Vietnam, but state secrecy and censorship in these countries does not enable confirmation of a minimum figure.
Two countries resumed drug-related executions after a short hiatus: Singapore, after a two-year pause, and Saudi Arabia, which reneged on its 2021 declaration of a moratorium on executions for non-violent offences.
Almost nine out of ten confirmed executions for drug offences took place in Iran.
303 death sentences for drug offences were confirmed in 18 countries (dozens more are likely). This represents a 28% increase in reported sentences from 2021.
At least 3700 people are currently on death row for drug offences in 19 countries.
As for drug-related executions in 2022, Iran carried out at least 252 (44% of total), Saudi Arabia at least 22 (15% of total); Singapore 11 (100% of total).
People who are marginalised, including because of their socioeconomic status, ethnicity, drug use, mental and/or intellectual disability, and nationality, continue to be disproportionately impacted by the death penalty for drug offences. For example, In Iran, 40% of those executed for drug offences identified as Baluchi. This ethnic group represents around 2% of the total population.
Two countries (Cuba and Sri Lanka) expanded the applicability of the death penalty for drug offences in law in 2022.
Harm Reduction International (HRI) is an NGO with Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
30 December 2023 :
December 28, 2023 - Hassan Rahbar executed in Gorgan on December 28
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Gorgan Central Prison on 28 December. His identity has been established as 36-year-old Hassan Rahbar.
He was arrested two years ago and sentenced to death for drug-related charges. At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6440/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/execution-of-a-prisoners-death-sentence-at-gorgan-central-prison
30 December 2023 :
December 28, 2023 - Reza Eyvazi executed in Kashan on December 28.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Kashan Prison on 28 December. His identity has been established as 30-year-old Reza Eyvazi from Najaf Abad.
He was arrested two years ago for drug-related charges. At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6443/
29 December 2023 :
December 28, 2023 - 3 men “recently” executed in Karaj
Akbar Qara Gozlu, Ehsan Hamedi + Unk.
Ghezel-Hesar Prison in Karaj recently executed three inmates who had been convicted of murder and rape. HRANA has identified two of the executed individuals as Akbar Qara Gozlu and Ehsan Hamedi, both convicted of murder. The third inmate, whose name is not known, was convicted of rape.
As of the time of this report, no coverage by domestic media outlets within the country have confirmed these executions.
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-three-inmates-at-qezel-hesar-prison/
29 December 2023 :
December 28, 2023 - 4 political prisoners executed in Urmia on December 28
Iran's regime on Friday morning executed three men identified as Aram Omri (Aram Omari Bardiani), Rahman Parhazou (Parhazo), and Vafa (Wafa) Hanareh, and a woman, Nasim Namazi, in Urmia Prison on charge spying for Israel's Mossad.
Independent sources reported that the execution of these Kurdish political prisoners was imminent, citing, 'This is revengeful behavior in response to the killing of Raza Mousavi, a high-ranking IRGC commander, by Israel in Syria.'
The Supreme Court’s 39th branch recently confirmed the death sentences of Wafa Hanareh, Aram Omari Bardiani, and Rahman Parhazou. Mansour Rasouli’s death sentence was overturned and replaced with a life imprisonment verdict.
These individuals were sentenced to death in February 2023 by the third branch of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia, presided over by Judge Najafzadeh, on charges of “participating in intelligence and espionage cooperation for the benefit of Israel.”
The news is reported by various sources, with some differences. According to Hengaw, only the men were executed, while the woman, who was also taken to solitary confinement, may have been given a reprieve. Radio Farda speaks of three men and one woman, but, citing the website of the Iranian governmental news agency Mizan, does not know the names of those executed. According to some sources the executions took place on 28 December, according to others on 29.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202312298552
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-executions-israel-saboteurs/32751909.html
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/execution-of-three-kurdish-prisoners-accused-of-espionage-in-urmia-central-prison
30 December 2023 :
December 28, 2023 - Karim Aminikhah executed in Bandar Abbas on December 28.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Bandar Abbas Central Prison on 28 December. His identity has been established as 65-year-old Karim Aminikhah, from Boukan.
He was arrested five years ago and sentenced to death for drug-related charges. According to his relatives, the drugs found in his car had been stashed there by someone else and did not belong to him.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6442/
27 December 2023 :
December 27, 2023 - Ismaeil Ghader Magham (Barahoei) executed in Birjand on December 27
According to a report received by Hengaw, on the early morning of Wednesday, December 27, 2023, the death sentence for a 32 years old Baloch inmate by the name Ismaeil Ghader Magham, a resident of Zahedan, was carried out without having allowed the final meeting with his family, in the central prison of Birjand.
According to “Halvash”, Ismaeil Ghader Magham was arrested four years ago in the Nahbandan region and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Birjand for drug trafficking.
As of the time of preparing this report, the execution of this inmate has not been announced in government-controlled media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/death-sentence-on-a-baloch-inmate-implemented-in-birjand-iran
30 December 2023 :
December 27, 2023 - Ramin Faghiri Executed in Hamedan on December 27
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Hamedan Central Prison on 27 December. His identity has been established as 27-year-old Ramin Faghiri from the village of Vandarabad Kongavar.
He was arrested three years ago and sentenced to death for drug-related charges. At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6439/
30 December 2023 :
December 27, 2023 - 3 men executed in Birjand on December 27
Ismail Qadir Maqam, Ahmad Gergij, Mohammad Hissari.
Previously Hengaw had reported the execution of Maqam (Magham).
According to a report received by Hengaw, on the early morning of Wednesday, December 27, 2023, the death sentences of 32-year-old Ismail Qadir Maqam from Zahedan, 30-year-old Ahmad Gergij from Zabul, both Baloch prisoners, and 50-year-old Mohammad Hesari (Hissari), a Kurdish prisoner from Kangavar, were carried out in Birjand Central Prison.
Hengaw received information indicating that another Kurdish prisoner, currently held in solitary confinement, has temporarily suspended his death sentence and may face execution in the coming days.
Ismail Qadir Maqam, Ahmad Gergij, and Mohammad Hesari were arrested four years ago on charges related to drug crimes.
The execution of these prisoners was conducted covertly, with their families left uninformed and deprived of the right to a final visit.
News concerning the three prisoners has yet to be disclosed by government media.
29 December 2023 :
December 26, 2023 - Mohammad Reza Mehraban executed in Sanandaj on December 26
According to a report received by Hengaw, on December 26, 2023, the death sentence of Mohammad Reza Mehraban, a Kurdish prisoner from Ghorveh, convicted of murder, has been carried out at dawn in Sanandaj Central Prison.
As of the compilation of this report, there has been no dissemination of information regarding this execution through government-sanctioned media outlets.
26 December 2023 :
December 23, 2023 - 3 men executed in Isfahan
Shirali Saeidi and Saman Mogouei on December 23, Reza Keshavarzi on December 22
According to a report received by Hengaw, on the morning of Saturday, December 23, 2023, the death sentences of two prisoners, Shirali Saeidi (36) and Saman Mogouei (31), both from Khomeynishahr, Isfahan province, were executed in the central prison of Isfahan.
Additionally, on the morning of Friday, December 22, another prisoner, Reza Keshavarzi from Marvdasht, Fars province, had his death sentence carried out in the central prison of Isfahan.
The Iran Human Rights Organization provided background information, stating, "Shirali Saeidi, formerly a butcher, had been detained for the past three years and sentenced to death. Saman Mogouei was arrested approximately five years ago, while Reza Keshavarzi was arrested about four years ago."
As of the time of this report, there has been no official announcement of the execution of these three prisoners in government-sanctioned media outlets.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/execution-of-three-prisoners-in-isfahan-central-prison-for-drug-related-offenses
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-three-prisoners-for-drug-offenses-in-isfahan/
26 December 2023 :
December 23, 2023 - Karamullah Lorestani and Hossein Papi executed in Khorramabad on December 23
According to a report received by Hengaw, on Saturday, December 23, 2023, Karamullah Lorestani, aged 50, and Hossein Papi, aged 43, both hailing from Borujerd city in Lorestan province, were executed.
According to a reliable source, Hossein Papi was apprehended seven years ago, while Karamullah Lorestani, wanted for three years, was eventually arrested four years ago. The joint case against them resulted in a death sentence for charges related to drug crimes.
On Thursday, December 21, 2023, the prisoners were moved to the solitary cell at Khorramabad prison in preparation for the execution of their death sentences.
Up to the time of compiling this report, the news of these executions has not been disseminated through government media.
26 December 2023 :
December 21, 2023 - Mojtaba Ayami executed in Qom on December 21
At dawn on Thursday, December 21, 2023, a prisoner named Mojtaba Ayami executed in the central prison of Qom on charges related to drugs.
Mojtaba Ayami, 47 years old, a resident of Ghala Hassan Khan, was the father of one child. He was arrested three years ago in connection with drugs and sentenced to death for this charge.
https://en.iranhrs.org/prisoners-executed-in-taibad-qom-and-khorramabad-prisons/
26 December 2023 :
December 21, 2023 - Mohammad Saleh Amini Executed in Taybad on December 21
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Taybad Prison, in Khorasan Razavi province, on 21 December. His identity has been established as 35-year-old Mohammad Saleh Amini. Saleh Amini, who was a chicken farm worker, was arrested for drug-related charges two years ago and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6420/
20 December 2023 :
December 20, 2023
IRAN
Samira Sabzian Fard executed in Karaj on December 20
According to information obtained by IHR, Samira Sabzian Fard, 30, was hanged in Ghezelhesar Prison of Karaj on 20 December. She was arrested ten years ago and sentenced for the murder of her husband.
Samira was a child bride married at 15 and a victim of domestic violence. She had two young children, one a new-born baby, when she was arrested and had not seen her children in ten years. She saw them for the first and last time when they came to the prison to say goodbye.
At the time of writing, her execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Condemning Samira’s execution, IHR urges the international community for a serious reaction to the high rise in executions. Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “Samira was a victim of years of gender apartheid, child marriage, and domestic violence, and today she fell victim to the incompetent and corrupt regime’s killing machine. A regime that has sustained itself solely through killing and instilling fear. Ali Khamenei and other leaders of the Islamic Republic must be held accountable for this crime.”
Iran is the biggest executioner of women. In 2022, at least 16 women were executed. According to IHR, Samira is the 18th woman to be executed in 2023. According to a different Ngo, women.ncr-iran.org, Samira Sabzian Fard is the 21st woman to be executed in 2023 by the clerical regime.
IHR counts at least 164 women were executed between 2010-October 2021, while women.ncr-iran.org counts 224 women executed in Iran since 2007.
According to Iran Human Rights’ report on Women and Death Penalty in Iran on the occasion of World Day Against the Death Penalty, in 66% of the known murder cases, the women were convicted of killing their husband or partner. Within the marriage, a woman does not have the right to divorce, even in cases of domestic violence and abuse, which are hidden in cultural codes and language.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6415/
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/12/20/samira-sabzian-fard/
21 December 2023 :
December 20, 2023 - 6 Unnamed Men Executed in Ardabil on December 20
State media have reported the execution of six unnamed men for drug-related charges in Ardabil Central Prison.
According to Tasnim Ardabil, six men were executed in Ardabil Central Prison on 20 December. Four of the men were sentenced to death for “buying, carrying and possession” of methamphetamine and heroin.” The other two who are referred to as “dealers” were sentenced to death for possession of cannabis, methamphetamine and heroin.
ISNA had previously reported the execution of three drug defendants on 14 December without providing any details. The report also stated that another prisoner had been executed in the last days.
A source told IHR: “Nobody has been transferred for execution in Ardabil Central Prison since 20th November. These six prisoners were probably transferred to Ardabil Central Prison for execution from another prison.”
Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year for the past three years. At least 305 people were executed for drug-related charges between 1 January-10 October 2023, a 69% increase compared to the same period in 2022, and the number of drug-related executions in 2023 were close to 20 times higher than 2020.
The number of drug executions dramatically dropped in 2018 following a 2017 Amendment to the Anti-Narcotics Laws. Consequently, drug executions ranged between 24-30 per annum between 2018-2020. The Amendment was reversed in practice in 2021 when executions increased ten-fold to 126 in 2021 and doubled again in 2022 with 256 drug-related executions. On 13 September 2023, IHR reported a 94% rise in the number of drug-related executions in the year following the start of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in September 2022.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6417/
21 December 2023 :
December 20, 2023 - Najibollah Dahmardeh Executed in Ghaemshahr on December 20
According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch man was secretly executed in Ghaemshahr Prison (Qaem Shahr) in Mazandaran province on 20 December. His identity has been reported as 41-year-old Najibollah Dahmardeh, a Balulch man from Sistan and Baluchistan province who lived in Golestan province.
Najibollah was arrested in Ghaemshahr for drug-related charges on 7 September 2018 and sentenced to death by the Ghaemshahr Revolutionary Court. He was executed without his family being notified and the chance to say goodbye to them.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
Ethnic minorities, the Baluch in particular, are grossly overrepresented in execution numbers in Iran. In 2022, at least 174 Baluch minorities including 3 women, were executed in 22 prisons across Iran, making up 30% of overall executions. This is while they represent just 2-5% of Iran’s population. Furthermore, at least 274 Baluch people have been executed for drug-related charges since 2021, 40% of all drug executions in that time period.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6418/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/covert-execution-of-baloch-prisoner-in-qaem-shahr-central-prison
21 December 2023 :
December 20, 2023 - Farzad Golmohammadi Executed in Sanandaj on December 20
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Sanandaj Central Prison on 20 December. His identity has been established as 32-year-old Farzad Golmohammadi from a village in Kamyaran.
He was arrested and sentenced to death 8 years ago on the charge of murder.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6416/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/sanandaj-the-death-sentence-of-farzad-golmohammadi-carried-out
21 December 2023 :
December 19, 2023 - Moslem Farahani executed in Zanjan on December 19
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Zanjan Central Prison on 19 December. His identity has been established as 40-year-old Moslem Farahani, from Qazvin.
Moslem was arrested for drug-related charges two years ago and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6412/
21 December 2023 :
December 19, 2023 - Abdollah Zamani and Esmail Ijbari Executed in Karaj on December 19
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Ghezel-Hesar Prison in Karaj on 19 December. Their identities have been established as Abdollah Zamani, an Afghan national, and 35-year-old Emsail Ijbari. They were both sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
Esmail Ijbari was a Baluch minority from Sistan and Baluchistan province who lived in Khorasan Razavi province per Haal Vsh.
Informed sources told IHR: “Three or four other prisoners are still in the death solitary confinement cells and could be executed tomorrow or next week.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6414/
26 December 2023 :
December 18, 2023 - Taher Davabi Executed in Khorramabad on December 18.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Khorramabad Central Prison on 18 December. His identity has been established as 43-year-old Taher Davabi from Sabzevar, who was married with two children.
Informed sources told IHR that Taher was accused of killing someone at his work in Khorramabad three years ago. He maintained that it was not premeditated and he had entered the fight out of anger.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6421/
21 December 2023 :
December 18, 2023 - Ali Poursiamak Executed in Neyshabur on December 18
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Neyshabur Prison, in Razavi Khorasan province, on 18 December. His identity has been established as 37-year-old Ali Poursiamak, who was sentenced for murder.
Ali was a farmer who was arrested for murder during a fight over farmland.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6413/
16 December 2023 :
December 16, 2023 - Execution Of Alleged Mossad Agent (not identified)
Iran's official IRNA news agency says an alleged agent of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad was executed in a Zahedan jail on December 16, without naming the individual or detailing the allegations.
The execution coincided with a recent attack by Sunni militants on a police station in the same region.
IRNA claimed that "this person communicated with foreign services, including Mossad, collecting classified information, and with participation with associates, provided documents to foreign services, including the Mossad." Iranian officials frequently accuse outside powers of interfering in Iranian affairs, and judicial processes in Iran are often untransparent. A day earlier, police in Sistan-Baluchistan said 11 officers were killed in a "terrorist" attack on a police station. Actually the attack resulted in the death of 12 security personnel, with several others sustaining injuries. A state funeral for the victims unfolded in the town of Rask on Saturday, as reported by state television. Additionally, clashes following the attack led to the reported deaths of two militants affiliated with the Jaish al-Adl group.
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-execution-alleged-mossad-agent/32733216.html
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202312168986
19 December 2023 :
December 16, 2023 - Mohsen Salarzehi executed in Iranshahr on December 16
According to a report received by Hengaw, on Saturday, December 16, the death sentence of a 26-year-old prisoner identified as Mohsen Salarzehi, a Baloch prisoner from Zabol, was carried out in Iranshahr central prison. This prisoner was taken into custody in October 2021 and later sentenced to death under drug-related crimes. Considering this case, the number of executed Baloch prisoners in Iran's prisons has risen to 170 since the beginning of 2023.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/death-sentence-implementation-for-a-prisoner-in-iranshahr
17 December 2023 :
December 15, 2023 - Davoud Brahui (Brahooie) executed in Qom on December 15.
On December 15, Davoud Brahui (Brahooie), 41, father of four, sentenced for drug-related crimes, was executed.
At the time of writing, no domestic media outlets within the country have reported on this executions.
16 December 2023 :
December 14, 2023 - Khairullah Nahtani executed in Zahedan on December 14.
According to a report received by Hengaw, on the morning of Thursday, December 14, 2023, the death sentence of a Baloch prisoner named Khairullah Nahtani was executed in Zahedan Central Prison.
Nahtani, 38, from Zabol, was sentenced to death two years ago on charges related to drug crimes.
17 December 2023 :
December 14, 2023 - Three men recently executed in Shiraz
Jamil …, Saeed Akbari, Mojtaba Malekpour
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Shiraz Central Prison on 14 December. Only identified as Jamil (surname unknown), the Afghan national was sentenced for murder. He was on death row for four years.
Another man was executed at the prison on 11 December. His identity has been established as 27-year-old Saeed Akbari who was also sentenced for murder. According to informed sources, Saeed was transferred to the gallows from the youth ward and had been on death row for five years for the murder of someone in his neighbourhood during a fight.
On 7 December 2023, another man was executed at the prison. His identity has been established as 34-year-old Mojtaba Malekpour from Darab who was also on death row for murder. He was accused of murder during a fight in Darab city.
The gallows have recently been moved from the prison court yard to a small square-shaped basement room in Shiraz Central Prison. All executions are now being carried out in this room.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6402/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-four-inmates-takes-place-in-mashhad-and-shiraz/
16 December 2023 :
December 14, 2023 - Mosafer Zargar (Razgar) executed in Mashhad on December 14
According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch man was executed in Mashhad Central Prison on 14 December. His identity has been reported as 29-year-old Mosafer Zargar, from Zahedan.
Mosafer was arrested in Mashhad around six years ago and sentenced for murder by the Mashhad Criminal Court. He said goodbye to his family the day prior to his execution.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6406/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/the-death-sentences-of-two-baloch-prisoners-were-carried-out-in-mashhad-and-zahedan-prisons
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-four-inmates-takes-place-in-mashhad-and-shiraz/
16 December 2023 :
December 13, 2023 - Abid Mahmoudi executed in Kermanshah on December 13
According to Hengaw, a Kurdish man was executed in Kermanshah Central Prison on 13 December. His identity has been reported as Abid Mahmoudi from Ravansar. He was sentenced for murder.
At least 13 Kurdish prisoners were executed in Iranian prisons in the last 13 days per the report.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6405/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/news/2023/12/14/prisoner-executed-for-murder-related-charges-in-kermanshah-2/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/the-implementation-of-the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-in-kermanshah-central-prison
17 December 2023 :
December 13, 2023 - Hamid Bakshayesh executed in Karaj on December 13.
There is a high possibility that he was a child offender.
According to information obtained by IHR, at least one man was executed in Ghezel-Hesar (Qezel Hesar, Qezelhesar) Prison of Karaj on 13 December. His identity has been established as Hamid Bakhshayesh, sentenced for murder.
Hamid was previously transferred to solitary confinement on 27 November but had managed to obtain an extension in his case. He was returned to solitary in preparation for his execution on 12 December and executed the next day.
A source told IHR: “Bakhshayesh was arrested with his two brothers in 2007/2008, when he was just 16 years old and taken to Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison. When Rajai Shahr was closed down, he was transferred to Ghezel-Hesar Prison and finally executed him after 15 years.”
IHR has not been able to verify his age through document evidence at the time of writing. Updates will be published once his juvenile offender status has been confirmed. At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6397/
17 December 2023 :
December 13, 2023 - Khalil Majedi (Majidi) executed in Ahvaz on December 13
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison on 13 December. His identity has been established as 36-year-old Khalil Majedi from Ahvaz.
An informed source told IHR: “Khalil Majedi was arrested for the murder of his fiancé’s brother three years ago and sentenced to death. He was on the run for two months after but returned at his father’s request and turned himself in. The murder was committed during an altercation and was not premeditated. His fiancé’s brother passed away after six days in the hospital.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6400/
https://en.iranhrs.org/ahvaz-and-qom-prisons-two-prisoners-executed/
17 December 2023 :
December 13, 2023 - Mohammadreza Habibian Executed in Babol on December 13
According to ISNA, a man was executed in Babol Prison on 13 December. The unnamed man was sentenced for murder.
The defendant was accused of killing Abbasali Soleimani, a former Khamenei representative and member of the Assembly of Experts in a Babolsar bank on 26 April 2023. The executed man’s identity has been established as Mohammadreza Habibian by IHR.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6396/
16 December 2023 :
December 13, 2023 - Vahid Haji Pour (Hajipour) executed in Isfahan on December 13
Vahid Haji Pour, 40, convicted of drug offenses two years ago, was executed in Isfahan Prison on December 13, as reported by the Iran Human Rights Organization. No domestic media outlets within the country has provided coverage of this execution at the time of writing.
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-four-inmates-takes-place-in-qom-khorramabad-and-isfahan-for-drug-offenses/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6403/
14 December 2023 :
December 12, 2023 - Davoud Khademi executed in Sanandaj on 12 December.
The prisoner, convicted of murder, was transferred to solitary confinement for execution on 11 December. Khademi, who was a 30-year-old father of two children from Marivan, Kurdistan Province, was arrested about four years ago.
17 December 2023 :
December 12, 2023 - Bahram Seyed Zadeh executed in Qom on December 12.
On December 12, 38-year-old Bahram Seyed Zadeh, a father of one, sentenced for drug-related crimes, was executed in Qom Prison
17 December 2023 :
December 12, 2023 - Abolfazl Abdolmaleki executed in Qom on December 12
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Qom Central Prison on 12 December. His identity has been established as 27-year-old Abolfazl Abdolmaleki from Qom. He was arrested for drug-related charges two years ago. At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6398/
https://en.iranhrs.org/ahvaz-and-qom-prisons-two-prisoners-executed/
16 December 2023 :
December 12, 2023 - Sajjad Haghi Zadeh (Sajad Haghizadeh, Sajjad Haqizadeh) executed in Khorramabad on December 12.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Khorramabad Central Prison on 12 December. His identity has been established as 37-year-old Sajad Haghizadeh. He was arrested three years ago and sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-four-inmates-takes-place-in-qom-khorramabad-and-isfahan-for-drug-offenses/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6404/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/khorramabad-prison-the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-from-kohdasht-carried-out
16 December 2023 :
December 12, 2023 - Ali Bababyi (Babaei) executed in Shirvan on December 12.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Shirvan Prison on 12 December. His identity has been established as Ali Babayi, 38, Kurdish, who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges. Informed sources told IHR that Ali was arrested around three years ago.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6393/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/the-death-sentence-of-kurdish-prisoner-executed
14 December 2023 :
December 12, 2023 - 5 men executed in Karaj on December 12
Amin Zakeri Kakavand, Khalil Haji Abadi, Milad Bideh, Hamid Bakshaish, and Hamid Esmaili.
According to a report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, the death sentences of Amin Zakeri Kakavand, a Kurdish from Harsin, and Khalil Haji Abadi, a Kurdish from Kangavar, Hamid Esmaili, a native of Kohdasht, Milad Bideh from Sulqan, and Hamid Bakshaish of Robat Karim, were implemented in Karaj Central Prison.
According to informed sources, all these prisoners had been arrested on charges related to drug crimes.
News of the execution of these five prisoners has not been officially announced in government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/number-of-executed-prisoners-rises-to-five-in-karaj-central-prison
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/implementation-of-the-death-sentence-of-three-prisoners-in-karaj-central-prison
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/implementation-of-the-death-sentence-of-three-prisoners-in-karaj-central-prison
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-karaj-following-drug-convictions/
14 December 2023 :
December 12, 2023 - Ali Babaei executed in Shirvan on December 12
According to a report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, the death sentence of Ali Babaei, a 38-year-old Kurdish prisoner arrested 4 years ago on charges of drug-related crimes, was carried out. The news of the execution of this prisoner has not been published by government media outlets.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/the-death-sentence-of-kurdish-prisoner-executed
19 December 2023 :
December 11, 2023 - Amin Jokar executed in Shiraz on December 11.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Shiraz Central Prison on 11 December. His identity has been reported as Amin Jokar, 40-year-old, from Darab.
Amin was arrested for an honour killing around four years ago. He was transferred to the gallows from Ward 11 of the prison. At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6409/
12 December 2023 :
December 9, 2023 - Abdul Basit Gorgich (Gorgij) and Abdul Aziz Shahlibur (Shahlibar) executed in Zahedan on December 9.
According to reports received by Hengaw, at dawn on Saturday, December 9, 2023, 2 Baloch prisoners, Abdul Basit Gorgich (33 years old) from Zahedan and Abdul Aziz (Hemel) Shahlibur (34 years old) from Dalgan city, were executed at the central prison of Zahedan.
Abdul Basit Gorgich, a father of two children, was arrested four years ago on charges related to drug-related crimes, and Abdul Aziz Shahlibur, a father of three children, was arrested five years ago on charges of murder in Bampur city. He was released in 2022 and arrested again at his home in September of the same year. Shahlibur was sentenced to death by Zahedan Criminal Court.
As of the time of reporting this news, the execution of these two Baloch prisoners has not been officially announced in government media
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/execution-of-two-baloch-prisoners-in-zahedan
https://en.iranhrs.org/two-baloch-prisoners-executed-in-zahedan-iran/
12 December 2023 :
December 9, 2023 - Abbas Ketabi executed in Qom on December 9.
According to a report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Saturday, December 9, 2023, the death sentence of Abbas Ketabi, a resident of Qom, arrested on charges related to drug crimes, was executed in the central prison of the city.
As of the time of reporting this news, the execution of Ketabi has not been officially announced in government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/execution-of-prisoner-abbas-ketabi-in-qom-prison
17 December 2023 :
December 9, 2023 - Mehdi Nasiri and Abbas Ketabi executed in Qom on December 9
According to information obtained by IHR, at least two men were executed in Qom Central Prison on 9 December. Their identities have been established as 41-year-old Mehdi Nasiri from Karaj and 47-year-old Abbas Ketabi (pictured) from Qom.
Mehdi Nasiri was arrested for carrying 80 kilograms of heroin three years ago and Abbas Ketabi was arrested on the Qom-Arak road around five years ago. They were both sentenced to death for drug-related charges. The execution of Ketabi had already been reported a few dfays ago.
There are reports of more people being executed at the prison that day which is working to verify.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6390/
17 December 2023 :
December 9, 2023 - 2 men executed in Zahedan on December 9
Ehsan Mahmoudzehi + Unk
According to Haal Vsh, two Baluch men were executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 9 December. One of the men’s identities has been reported as 22-year-old Mahmoudzehi from Saravan. Both he and the unidentified man were sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
Abdolbaset Gorgij and Abdolaziz Shahlibar were previously reported to have been executed at the prison that day, bringing the total to four executions.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6395/
09 December 2023 :
December 8, 2023 - 3 men executed in Orumiyeh (Urmia) on December 8
Ali Shahin-Nejad (Shahinnejad, Shahinnezhad), Solat (Hamid) Tosan (Tawsan, Sawlat Tousan), and Janali (Jan'ali) Nadimi Dargahi
The authorities have today, December 8, executed Ali Shahinnezhad, Sawlat Tousan and Janali Nadimi in Orumiyeh Central Prison on drug trafficking charges.
The three Kurdish prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement yesterday for execution, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned.
Shahinnezhad was 39 years old from the village of Pesan in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province, Tousan was 40 years old from the village of Qeshlaq-e Tarazlu in Orumiyeh and Nadimi was 62 years old from the village of Piranjuq in Orumiyeh.
They were sentenced to death several years ago in separate drug trafficking cases.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/news/2023/12/08/iran-executes-three-prisoner-for-drug-related-charges-in-orumiyeh/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/#tb4
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-three-inmates-in-urmia-for-drug-related-crimes/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/execution-of-three-kurdish-prisoners-in-urmia-central-prison
07 December 2023 :
December 7, 2023 - Amir Alikhani executed in Rafsanjan on December 7.
According to reports obtained by Hengaw, at dawn on Wednesday, December 7, 2023, the death sentence of a prisoner from Rafsanjan, Kerman province, named Amir Alikhani, 26 years old, was executed in the city's Central Prison.
According to reliable sources, Alikhani had been arrested a few years ago on charge of murder.
As of the time of compiling this report, the news of this execution has not been officially announced in government media.
https://hengaw.net/content/upload/1/root/amir-alikhani.jpg
https://www.en-hrana.org/multiple-executions-in-rafsanjan-sanandaj-and-saqqez/
07 December 2023 :
December 6, 2023 - Khaled Rouhi (Roohi) and Sirus Heydari (Sirous Heidari) executed in Sanandaj on December 6. According to reports obtained by Hengaw, at dawn on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, the death sentence of two Kurdish prisoners, Khaled Rouhi, hailing from the village of Cham So in Sanandaj, and Sirus Heydari, a 60-year-old resident of Sanandaj, was executed in Sanandaj Central Prison.
Heydari had been arrested 12 years ago, while Rouhi was detained four years ago. Both were charged with murder.
On Monday, December 4, 2023, these prisoners were transferred from the general ward of Sanandaj Central Prison to solitary confinement in preparation for the execution.
As of the time of compiling this report, the news of the execution of these prisoners has not been officially announced in government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/execution-of-two-kurdish-prisoners-in-sanandaj-central-prison
https://www.en-hrana.org/multiple-executions-in-rafsanjan-sanandaj-and-saqqez/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/news/2023/12/06/iran-executes-five-prisoners-in-two-days-in-karaj-sanandaj-saqqez/
07 December 2023 :
December 6, 2023 - Kamal Elhami executed in Saqqez on December 6.
On December 6, Kamal Elhami, aged 43, faced execution at Saqqez Prison for a rape conviction dating back five years.
https://www.en-hrana.org/multiple-executions-in-rafsanjan-sanandaj-and-saqqez/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/news/2023/12/06/iran-executes-five-prisoners-in-two-days-in-karaj-sanandaj-saqqez/
09 December 2023 :
December 6, 2023 - Zabihollah Arjomand (Arjmand) executed in Dehdasht on December 6
According to a report received by Hengaw, on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, 35-year-old Zabihollah Arjomand, from Dehdasht, was executed in Dehdasht Central Prison.
Based on the information of a reliable resource, Zabihollah Arjomand had been arrested in 2019 on charges of drug trafficking and subsequently sentenced to death. His mother, the night before the execution, tried to save her son by being present in front of the prison and crying out.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/implementation-of-the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-in-dehdasht-prison
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202312068758
07 December 2023 :
December 5, 2023 - 4 men executed in Karaj on December 5.
Sasan Maleki, Mehdi Moradi, Mojtaba Amiri, and Manouchehr Nourabad Barzgar, (Barzegar Gizh Rood),
On December 5, 2023, the Central Prison of Karaj carried out the execution of four inmates.
HRANA identified the executed men as Sasan Maleki, Mehdi Moradi, Mojtaba Amiri, and Manouchehr Nourabad Barzgar (Manouchehr Barzgar, Barzegar Gizh Rood), all convicted of drug offenses.
These individuals had been transferred to solitary confinement in anticipation of their impending executions. No official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of these executions at the time of writing.
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-for-drug-offenses-in-central-prison-of-karaj/
https://en.iranhrs.org/four-prisoners-executed-in-karaj-prison-in-iran/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/news/2023/12/06/iran-executes-five-prisoners-in-two-days-in-karaj-sanandaj-saqqez/
05 December 2023 :
December 4, 2023 - Fereydoun Nasiri-nejad (Nasirinejad) executed in Jiroft on December 4
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Monday, December 4, 2023, the death sentence of Fereydoun Nasiri-nejad, 33 years old and a Baloch prisoner resident of Zaheden, was carried out in Jiroft Central Prison in Kerman province.
Fereydoun Nasirinejad, the father of four children, was arrested three years ago on drug-related charges.
So far, the news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced in the Iranian state media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/at-least-one-prisoner-executed-in-jiroft-prison
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6377/
17 December 2023 :
December 4, 2023 - Sadegh Ajdar executed in Yasuj on December 4
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Yasuj Central Prison on 4 December. His identity has been established as Sadegh Ajdar, who was sentenced for murder. Sadegh was arrested around three years ago.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6388/
05 December 2023 :
December 3, 2023 - 4 men executed in Birjand on December 3
Mohammad Naeimi Far (Brahui), Ahmad Shahoo-Zahi (Shahouzahi), Maziar Narooie (Narouyi, Narui), and Hamid Sarani.
As reported by Haal Vsh, the Birjand Prison in South Khorasan province carried out the execution of four individuals convicted of drug-related crimes.
The executed prisoners were identified as Mohammad Naeimi Far) (Naeimifar, Naimifar (Brahui)), Baluch, 44 years old, Ahmad Shahoo-Zahi (Shahuzehi), Baluch, 40 years old, Maziar Narooie (Narui, Narouyi), Baluch, 31 years old, and Hamid Sarani, 27 years old.
The first three inmates had received death sentences three, four, and five years ago, respectively, while Sarani was sentenced to death 14 months ago by the Birjand Revolutionary Court.
These individuals were denied the opportunity for a final visit with their families before the execution.
As of the current writing, there is no official confirmation of these executions from domestic media outlets within the country.
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-birjand-for-drug-related-offenses/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/four-prisoners-secretly-executed-in-birjand-central-prison
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6375/
05 December 2023 :
December 3, 2023 - Ali Majidi executed in Qazvin on December 3
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Qazvin Central Prison (Choobdar) on 3 December. His identity has been established as 40-year-old Ali Majidi. IHR sources informed that Ali was a father of one who was arrested for murder committed over financial disputes.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6376/
30 November 2023 :
November 30, 2023 - Naser Alizehi and Naser Ozbakzehi executed in Zahedan on November 30.
According to Haal Vsh, two Baluch men were executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 30 November. Their identities have been reported as 27-year-old Naser Alizehi (Aalizehi) (pictured right) and 22-year-old Naser Ozbakzehi (Naser Azbegzehi) (Rakhshani) who were both from Zahedan and had been sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
Naser Alizehi who maintained his innocence in court, was arrested in Zahedan on 19 November 2021. Naser Ozbakzehi was arrested around two years ago.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6369/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/death-penalty-for-two-baloch-inmates-executed-in-zahedan-central-prison
01 December 2023 :
November 30, 2023 - Protester Kamran Rezaei (Rezaie) executed in Shiraz on November 30.
According to information obtained by IHR, Kamran Rezaei, a 32-year-old protester was executed in Shiraz Central Prison (Adel Abad) on 30 November. He was arrested during the November 2019 nationwide protests and sentenced for the murder of an IRGC officer. It is not clear whether he had other charges like moharebeh in his case or just murder.
A source told IHR: “Kamran Rezaei was arrested for killing a basiji (IRGC forces) with a machete during the November 2019 nationwide protests. He was held in solitary confinement for 7 months and forced to make self-incriminating confessions under torture. He was tortured so much that Kamran said he had blood in his urine for a long time afterwards and had also sustained damage to his right ear. He always said he was innocent and would be released.”
“Kamran lost his father when he was 8 and lived with his step-mother. He didn’t have any family or anyone that cared to do anything for him or publicise his case,” the source added.
Kamran Rezaei was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution on Tuesday (28 November) after the evening headcount.
Condemning Kamran Rezaei’s execution, Iran Human Rights warns of more protester and political prisoner executions.
Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “Political prisoners including protesters are at serious risk of execution. Further silence from the international community is not acceptable. The current leaders of the Islamic Republic have a history of massacring political prisoners and committing crimes against humanity. It is only the high political cost from the international community that has prevented them from repeating these atrocities.”
IHR previously reported the executions of political prisoner (Geda) Ali Saber Motlagh in Rasht Central Prison on 25 November, protester Milad Zohrevand who was arrested at the 40th day anniversary of Jina (Mahsa) Amini, in Hamedan Central Prison on 23 November and Kurdish political prisoner Ayoub Karimi in Ghezelhesar Prison on 29 November.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6371/
https://www.en-hrana.org/kamran-rezaie-executed-in-shiraz/
29 November 2023 :
November 29, 2023 - Ayoub Karimi executed in Karaj on November 29
A Kurdish religious prisoner
According to reports received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Ayoub Karimi, a Sunni Kurdish father of two children, was executed on Wendesday, November 29, 2023, at Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj.
Ghassem Abasteh, one of Karimi’s co-defendants, was executed in the same prison on 5 November (see HoC 05/11/2023) . Presently, the other five defendants in the case remain incarcerated and face the looming threat of execution.
In vehemently condemning the execution of Ayoub Karimi, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights asserts that this political prisoner received a death sentence through a judicial process conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran that was wholly non-transparent, unfair, and illegal.
Ayoub Karimi, implicated in the murder case of "Abdul Rahim Tina," alongside Qasim Abeste and five other Kurdish religious activists—Dawood Abdullahi, Farhad Salimi, Anwar Khezri, Khosrow Basharat, and Kamran Sheikha—received a death sentence from Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Moqiseh. The charges included "action against national security," "propaganda against the regime," "membership in Salafi groups," and "corruption on earth."
These individuals were apprehended by security forces on December 7, 2009, and subsequently transported to the intelligence agency's detention center in Urmia City.
The trial for the seven Kurdish religious prisoners took place at the end of March 2015, with the official communication of the sentences occurring on May 25, 2016. It is crucial to note that the initial verdict was overturned by the 41st branch of the Iranian Supreme Court, led by Judge Razini, in 2017. An appeal was then made to the 15th branch of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran. In June 2017, Ayoub Karimi and the six other co-accused received death sentences from Branch 15 of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, headed by Judge Abolqasem Salavati, on charges of "corruption on earth."
Under persistent pressure from the Iranian Intelligence Department in Urmia, the 41st branch of the Iranian Supreme Court reasserted the aforementioned verdict. On Monday, March 4, 2020, Mahmoud Walizadeh Tabatabai, the legal counsel for these seven Kurdish religious prisoners, received the official notification of this decision.
30 November 2023 :
November 29, 2023 - Massoud Basak executed in Kashan on November 29
According to information obtained by IHR, a prisoner named Massoud Basak, 33, was executed in Kashan Prison on 29 November. Informed sources told IHR that he was arrested for drug charges around two years ago.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6367/
30 November 2023 :
November 29, 2023 - Moradkhan Geravand (Murad Khan Garavand) and Morad Biranvand (Beyranvand) executed in Khorramabad on November 29.
According to information obtained by IHR, 2 men wereas executed in Khorramabad Central Prison on 29 November.
One was identified as 39-year-old Moradkhan Geravand.
A source told IHR: “Moradkhan Geravand was from Touh Khoshkeh village in Kouhdasht. He was arrested and sentenced to death for drug charges five years ago but the drugs weren’t his, they were discovered on someone else.”
The other was Morad Biranvand, 38, from Khorramabad. He too was sentenced for drugs.
Prior to execution, he granted forgiveness to his mother’s murderer, saving his life from death row.
A source told IHR: “Morad was arrested for drug charges around 8 years ago and sentenced to death. Morad’s mother was killed by someone four years ago, who was due to executed. The man’s family and some people sought Morad’s forgiveness. Authorities also told Morad ‘if you forgo execution, we won’t execute you.’ Morad save his mother’s murderer from death but the authorities didn’t keep their promised and executed him this morning.”
Morad previously did an interview with Hamshahri newspaper in which he explained that he was a driver and had just got engaged when he was arrested. A friend had asked him to deliver a package for him. However, he was arrested as soon as he set out to deliver it. He said helping his friend was the biggest mistake of his life and had tried to explain that the 4.4kg of heroin did not belong to him.
While behind bars, his mother had been murdered during a robbery. He explained how his views had changed on death row where he shared cells with the same people who he watched being taken to the gallows. “Life is short and I decided to forgive my mother’s murderer after I gained a better understanding in prison. I don’t expect anything in return and did it for god’s sake.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6368/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/the-number-of-executed-prisoners-in-khorram-abad-prison-increased-to-two
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6365/
29 November 2023 :
November 28, 2023 - Shahram Mohammadbeigi (Mohammad Beigi) executed in Ilam on November 28
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Ilam Central Prison on 28 November. His identity has been established as Shahram Mohammadbeigi, a 38-year-old father of three.
Informed sources told IHR: “Shahram Mohammadbeigi was a cross-country runner who’d won medals. He was arrested for the murder of his friend Mojtaba Piri around three years ago and sentenced to qisas.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6361/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/ilam-central-prison-execution-of-three-including-former-asia-cross-country-running-champion
01 December 2023 :
November 28, 2023 - According to IHR and Hrana, 7 men were executed in Ghezel Hasar prison of Karaj on November 28.
The Ong both identified 4 of the executed men as Ayoub Karimi, Hamid (Hamed) Bakhshayesh, Eghbal (Iqbal) Fathollahi and Mohsen Amraie (Amrai).
The two NGOs believe another 3 men were executed. One was identified as Bagher (Baqer) Mohammadi, convicted of drug crimes by the Malard Revolutionary Court, together with a co-defendant, also executed on the same day, but whose name is not yet known.
Even the dates are not entirely clear, in the various news published by the NGOs they fluctuate between 27, 28 and 29 November. In Ghezel Hasar prison in November there were multiple executions on November 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd. If there were to be a constant, then the most likely date for the 5th multiple execution would be the 29th.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6372/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/confirmation-of-identities-for-the-five-executed-prisoners-in-ghezel-hesar-karaj
https://www.en-hrana.org/twelve-inmates-executed-across-various-prisons/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6364/
30 November 2023 :
November 28, 2023 - Hani Shahbazi (Al-Boushehbazi) executed in Ahvaz on November 28. Shahbazi was arrested during the November 2019 protests.
According to Tasnim (state media), a man was executed in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison. The unnamed man whose exact date of execution has not been specified, was sentenced for murder and moharebeh (enmity against god).
A local human rights organisation named Karoun reported his identity as 32-year-old Hani Shahbazi from Shadegan, and set the date of the execution to November 28.
Shahbazi was one of the protesters detained during the November 2019 protests. Following the brutal and bloody crackdown on the people of Shadegan in November 2019, this protester was arrested in this city on Tuesday, December 3, 2019.
He was sentenced to death by the Abadan Revolutionary Court on charges of insurgency, including the murder of Yaser Sepidro, a member of the law enforcement, and Mohammad Ali Kazemi, a member of the Basij (under cover civilian units).
Detailed information regarding the court proceedings and the examination of the charges against this Arab political prisoner is not available. According to informed sources, he was subjected to severe torture, in order to extract coerce confessions.
Saleh Motahari, the legal deputy of the police command in Khuzestan Province, to government media, confirmed the execution without disclosing the identity of the prisoner and that the execution order was carried out after approval by the Supreme Court.
https://iran-hrm.com/2023/11/29/hani-shahbazi-a-november-2019-protester-executed-in-the-sepidar-prison-of-ahvaz/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6362/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/death-sentence-of-an-arab-political-prisoner-in-ahvaz-implemented
30 November 2023 :
November 28, 2023 - Hamid Bakhshayesh executed in Karaj on 28 November
Earlier, news had been published of two other executions that took place in the same prison on the same day, those of Eghbal (Iqbal) Fathollahi, Mohsen Amrayi (Amrai). Two other men were returned to the general population after obtaining last minute extensions in their case.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights and Hengaw, at least 3 men were executed in Ghezel-Hesar Prison of Karaj on 28 November. Eghbal (Iqbal) Fathollahi, Mohsen Amrayi (Amrai), and Hamid Bakhshayesh.
These three prisoners were sentenced for drug-related charges. Fatholahi and Amrai were cousins of each other and were sentenced to death in a joint case.
The 3 prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement in a group of five on 27 November. The other men who are on death row for murder, were returned to their cells after obtaining extensions from the plaintiffs in the case.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6363/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/the-number-of-executed-prisoners-in-qezelhesar-prison-increased-to-three-people
30 November 2023 :
November 28, 2023 - Ali Agha Mohammadi and Naser Maghsoudi executed in Ilam on 28 November.
News had previously been published of the execution of Shahram Mohammadbeigi, but the other two men had not been identified. According to information now obtained by IHR, the two other men executed in Ilam Central Prison on 28 November were Ali Agha Mohammadi, 45, and Naser Maghsoudi, 40, both convicted of murder.
A source told IHR: “Ali Agha Mohammadi was arrested for his wife’s murder last year, while Naser Maghsoudi was arrested for murder around five years ago.”
IHR previously reported the execution of Shahram Mohammadbeigi at the prison, bringing the number of executions at Ilam Central Prison to three yesterday.
At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6366/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/verification-of-identity-for-two-executed-prisoners-at-ilam-central-prison
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/news/2023/11/29/two-more-prisoners-executed-for-murder-related-charges-in-ilam/
29 November 2023 :
November 28, 2023 - Eghbal Fathollahi and Mohsen Amraie executed in Karaj on November 28
On November 28, officials at Ghezel-Hesar Prison in Karaj executed two inmates convicted of drug offenses.
The individuals, identified by HRANA as Eghbal Fathollahi and Mohsen Amraie, were transferred to solitary confinement one day before their execution.
No official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of these executions at the time of writing.
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-qezel-hesar-prison-for-drug-offenses-2/
29 November 2023 :
November 28, 2023 - Two more men executed on November 28 in Ilam.
Togheter with Shahram Mohammad Beigi, two fellow Kurdish inmates were executed in Ilam Central Prison. Hengaw is presently investigating the identities of the other two prisoners, both Kurdish citizens from Ilam, who faced death sentences on charges of murder.
Significantly, news of these executions has yet to be disseminated through government-affiliated media, as of the time of compiling this report.
29 November 2023 :
November 26, 2023 - Adel Damani executed in Chabahar on November 26.
16 years old at the time of the alleged offence.
According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch man was executed in Chabahar (Chah Bahar) Prison on 26 November. His identity has been reported as 25-year-old Adel Damani who is alleged to have committed a murder during a street altercation around nine years ago.
While document evidence of his age have not been published, the report states he was 16 years old at the time of the alleged offence. At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6360/
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-shiraz-and-chabahar-prisons/
27 November 2023 :
November 26, 2023 - 3 men executed in Nahavand on November 26
Farshid Pirhayati, Farshad Pirhayati, Asghar Suri.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Sunday, November 26, 2023, the death sentences Farshid Pirhayati and his brother, Farshad Pirhayati, and Asghar Suri were carried out in Nahavand Central Prison, in Hamedan province.
Earlier, by announcing the imminent executions in this prison, Hengaw wrote that the efforts of the families of these prisoners to obtain the consent of avengers of blood have been fruitless.
Farshid Pirhayati, Farshad Pirhayati, and Asghar Suri murdered a citizen named Meysam Zamaniyan in a fight on February 14, 2019, and after being arrested, they were sentenced to death. Another person, who escaped, was sentenced to death.
So far, the news of the execution of Farshid Pirhayati, Farshad Pirhayati, and Asghar Suri has not been announced in the Iranian state media.
29 November 2023 :
November 26, 2023 - Reza Rastkhiz executed in Shiraz on November 26.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Shiraz Central Prison (Adel Abad) on 26 November. His identity has been established as 37-year-old Reza Rastkhiz.
Informed sources told IHR that Reza was arrested for drug-related charges three years ago.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6357/
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-shiraz-and-chabahar-prisons/
27 November 2023 :
November 25, 2023 - According to newly obtained documents witnessed by Iran Human Rights, Hamidreza Azari who was executed in Sabzevar Prison on 24 November, was a juvenile offender and 17 at the time of execution. He was born on 1 August 2006 and was alleged to have committed the murder on 28 April 2023, when he was 16 years and 8 months old.
It is important to note that in his previously aired forced confession and state media report, his age was given as 18. This is a deliberate attempt to evade accountability for violating international laws which explicitly prohibit the use of the death penalty against juvenile offenders.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6350/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/execution-of-convicted-juvenile-death-sentence-at-sabzevar-central-prison
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-execution-teenager-honor-killing/32699630.html
30 November 2023 :
November 25, 2023 - Two men Executed in Rasht on November 25
Political prisoner Geda Ali Saber Motlagh (Ali Saber Motlaq) and Mohsen Sedaghat
According to the IHRS, on the morning of Saturday, November 25, 2023, two prisoners were executed in Lakan Prison in Rasht. One of them was political prisoner GedaAli SaberMotlagh, and a prisoner accused of murder named Mohsen Sedaghat.
According to reports from a source close to the families of prisoners in Lakan Prison of Rasht, Ali Saber Motlagh was a political prisoner in the 1980s who had been detained on charges of supporting the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). He had been released after several years, but he was arrested again in 2020 charged with being involved in the killing of an Iranian regime security official in 1981. Mr. Saber Motlagh had consistently denied this allegation.
According to reports received by Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM), Ali Saber Motlagh was subsequently subjected to prolonged torture and interrogation by intelligence agents, and ultimately sentenced to death. In February 2021, in protest against his arbitrary arrest by security forces, Mr. Saber Motlagh went on a hunger strike that lasted for over a month. His physical condition deteriorated severely considering his pre-existing liver and kidney conditions. Nevertheless, his interrogators did not let up putting pressure on him.
The regime’s judiciary accused him of having punished a senior regime official in Rasht in 1981, an accusation that Ali never accepted. Ali Saber, 62, went on a hunger strike for a month in March 2021. He was suffering from severe kidney and liver disease.
The Iranian Resistance calls on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Council, the International Fact-Finding Commission, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, as well as Amnesty International and other human rights organizations to investigate the news of the execution and how Ali Saber was martyred and the place of his burial. It also calls for urgent action to stop the regime of the mullahs’ killing machine and to save the lives of prisoners, especially political prisoners. Silence and inaction in the face of the world’s leading executioner, torturer, terrorist, and warmonger, encourages this regime to continue and intensify its crimes against humanity.
https://en.iranhrs.org/lakan-prison-in-rasht-one-political-prisoner-executed/
https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/ncri-statements/statement-iran-resistance/criminal-and-secret-execution-of-ali-saber-political-prisoner-and-supporter-of-the-mek-in-lakan-prison-rasht/
https://iran-hrm.com/2023/11/27/secret-execution-of-political-prisoner-ali-saber-motlagh-in-lakan-prison-rasht/
27 November 2023 :
November 25, 2023 - Ahmad Heydari executed in Khorramabad on November 25
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Saturday, November 25, 2023, the death sentence of Ahmad Heydari, a prisoner from Khuzestan province, was carried out in Khorramabad Central Prison.
According to a reliable source, this prisoner had been previously detained on charges related to drug offenses.
As of the time of this report, there has been no official announcement of this prisoner's execution in iranian media outlets.
04 December 2023 :
November 25, 2023 - Unidentified woman executed in Rasht on November 25
According to a news story published on December 1 by IHRS, in addition to the two men already known about, a woman was also executed on November 25 in Lakan prison, in the city of Rasht. The woman, whose name is not known, had been sentenced to death on the charge of murder. The two men were GadaAli Saber Motlagh and Mohsen Sedaghat.
The woman executed on Saturday, November 25, is the 223rd woman to be executed by the clerical regime since 2007. She is the 20th woman executed since January 2023.
https://en.iranhrs.org/iran-executed-6-prisoners-in-rasht-karaj-and-zahedan/
https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/news/iran-news-in-brief-news/iran-news-in-brief-december-1-2023/
25 November 2023 :
November 24, 2023 - Unidentified young man executed in Sabzevar on 24 November. Possibly a minor at the time of the crime.
State media have reported the execution of an unnamed 18-year-old man for murder in Sabzevar.
According to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency, a young man was executed in Sabzevar on 24 November. The exact location of the unnamed man’s execution has not been specified. He was sentenced for murder.
The defendant was accused of killing another man during a street altercation. His forced confessions were previously aired with his 16-year-old co-defendant who received a prison term. According to state media, the unnamed defendant was sentenced to a public execution. It is not clear whether he was hanged publicly or in Sabzevar Prison.
Those charged with the umbrella term of “intentional murder” are sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) regardless of intent or circumstances due to a lack of grading in law. Once a defendant has been convicted, as the plaintiffs, the victim’s family are required to choose between death as retribution, diya (blood money) or forgiveness.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6338/
23 November 2023 :
November 23, 202 - Rasoul Gorgij and Shahmorad Davoudi executed in Mashhad on November 23.
According to Haal Vsh, two Baluch men were executed in Mashhad Central Prison (Vakil Abad) on 23 November. Their identities have been reported as 34-year-old Rasoul Gorgij (photo) and 44-year-old Shahmorad Davoudi, both Zahedan natives.
They were arrested for drug-related charges in Mashhad around two years ago and sentenced to death for death by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court. They were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions the day prior.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6336/
23 November 2023 :
November 23, 2023 - Milad Zohrevand secretly executed in Hamadan on November 23. According to reports obtained by Hengaw, Milad Zohrevand, a 21-year-old from Malair, was sentenced to death under the false charge of "killing a government force" named Ali Nazari during the Women, Life, Freedom Revolution. The execution took place at dawn on Thursday, November 23, 2023.
A source revealed that the execution was conducted in secrecy, without prior notification or a final meeting with the family. Since this morning, government armed forces have been deployed in public places in Malair city.
Hengaw strongly condemns the secret execution, emphasizing that it not only violates the right to life but also egregiously infringes upon the human rights of the detainee and his family. The lack of prior notification and the denial of an opportunity for a final farewell demonstrate a blatant disregard for humanitarian principles and fundamental human rights.
In a previous report warning about the jeopardy to Milad Zohrevand's life, Hengaw highlighted the pressure exerted by the IRGC, which took over the representation of Ali Nazari's family, the security guard killed during the protests against Milad Zohrevand. The IRGC demanded the execution of Zohrevand's death sentence without the explicit consent of Nazari's family.
Milad Zohrevand, along with five other individuals, was arrested by IRGC forces on Thursday, October 27, 2022, during public protests in Malair city. Subsequently, he was sentenced to death by the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran and transferred from Malair Central Prison to Hamadan Central Prison for the execution of the death sentence.
Zohrevand was deprived of access to a lawyer, visits, and other basic rights during his entire detention, a violation even according to the minimum laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/secret-execution-of-milad-zohrevand-detained-protester-in-hamadan-central-prison-raises-concerns
https://www.en-hrana.org/milad-zohrehvand-executed-in-hamedan-prison-ten-days-after-supreme-court-confirmation/
23 November 2023 :
November 22, 2023 - Loghman Omrani + Unk executed in Karaj on November 22
State media have reported the executions of two men for murder charges at Ghezelhesar Prison. IHR previously reported the executions of two other men that day, bringing the total number to four. There are unverified reports of three other men’s executions at the prison that day.
According to Javan Online, two men were executed in Ghezel-Hesar Prison of Karaj on 22 November. The unnamed men were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.
One of the men’s identities has been established as Loghman Omrani by IHR which has also received reports of another three men having been executed that day which it has not been able to verify at the time of writing.
IHR previously reported news of Moslem Jamshidi and Mohammad Andishkouh being executed for drug-related charges at Ghezelhesar Prison that day.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6335/
23 November 2023 :
November 22, 2023 - Ebrahim Zamharir executed in Tabriz on November 22.
According to a report received by Hengaw, on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, the death sentence of 48-year-old Ebrahim Zamharir, A Turkish prisoner, was carried out in Tabriz central prison.
According to IHR, this prisoner, who was a father, was taken into custody three years ago because of drug-related crimes and subsequently sentenced to death.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/the-execution-of-two-prisoners-in-karaj-and-tabriz-prisons
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-karaj-and-tabriz-for-murder-and-drug-offenses/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6334/
23 November 2023 :
November 22, 2023 - Mohammad Andishkouh (Andishgu) and Moslem Jamshidi executed in Karaj on November 22
Mohammad Andishkouh (Andishgu) and Moslem Jamshidi were executed today on drug-related charges in Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj, Alborz Province.
The two prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement for execution on 21 November.
Andishkouh, 29, from Kuhdasht, Lorestan Province, was arrested about eight years ago. Jamshidi was a 55-year-old father of one from Harsin, Kermanshah Province. No official sources or media outlet within the country have provided coverage of these executions at the time of writing.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/news/2023/11/22/iran-executes-two-prisoners-for-drug-related-charges-in-karaj-4/
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-qezel-hesar-prison-for-drug-offenses/
04 December 2023 :
November 22, 2023 - Gholam Rasoul Heydari executed on November 22 in Shiraz
On Wednesday, November 22, 2023, another detainee from the November 2019 protests, Gholam Rasoul Heydari, a Baluch citizen, was executed amid media silence at Adelabad Prison in Shiraz. Information about his execution has been made public, just recently.
According to the Campaign of Baluch Activists, this citizen had arrived in Jask city from Turkey during the November 2019 protests and was detained by military forces on the way from Minab to Jask, falsely accused of “chanting protest slogans and carrying political books.” After the arrest, Mr. Heydari was transferred to Evin Prison and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Revolutionary Court. After his family’s efforts, he was eventually transferred to Adelabad Prison in Shiraz.
However, suddenly and without prior notice, without having a final visit with his family, he was hanged despite his sentence of life imprisonment.
According to reports received from the Campaign of Baluch Activists, Ali Akbar Heydari, the father of Gholam Rasoul Heydari, suffered a heart attack and passed away on Friday, one day after the announcement of his son’s execution.
https://iran-hrm.com/2023/12/01/second-and-third-protesters-from-november-2019-protests-executed-amid-media-silence/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/12/covert-execution-of-three-individuals-arrested-in-november-2019-in-shiraz-and-ahvaz-prisons
23 November 2023 :
November 22, 2023 - Reza … executed in Karaj on November 22
On Wednesday, November 22, 2023, the death sentence of a Tehran-residing inmate, identified only as Reza, was executed in Ghezel Hesar prison. Based on the information on the Rokna website, 12 years ago, this inmate murdered his brother's wife by interfering in their disputes.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/the-execution-of-two-prisoners-in-karaj-and-tabriz-prisons
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-karaj-and-tabriz-for-murder-and-drug-offenses/
22 November 2023 :
November 20, 2023 - Siamand Bukani (Ostwar) executed in Ardabil on November 20.
According to information obtained by IHR, a Kurdish man was executed in Ardabil Central Prison on 20 November. His identity has been established as 40-year-old Siamand Bukani (Ostovar, Ostwar) from the village of Dangaz.
He had two children and had been arrested in Ardabil around two years ago. Siamand was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
Bukani was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution on 17 November along with a murder death row prisoner. The other prisoner was returned to his cell after obtaining a one-month extension in his case.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6330/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/death-sentence-implementation-for-an-inmate-from-bukan-in-ardabil-central-prison
20 November 2023 :
November 19, 2023 - 3 men executed in Bandar Abbas on November 19.
Abdulghafoor Mahmoudi, Mohammad Hussein TashtZar, Ali Payam.
According to reports received by the Hengaw organization for Human Rights, on the morning of Sunday, the 19th of November 2023, the death sentence for Abdulghafoor Mahmoudi and Mohammad Hussein TashtZar, inmates from Khenouj in Kerman province, was carried out in Bandar Abbas Central Prison.
As reported by the news outlet "Hal Vash," along with these two Baloch inmates, the death sentence for Ali Payam, a 26-year-old, married residing in “22 Bahman” neighborhood in Bandar Abbas, was also executed in the same prison.
These inmates were jointly implicated in a case dating back four years on charges related to drug trafficking.
As of the preparation of this report, the execution of these inmates has not been officially announced in government-controlled media.
20 November 2023 :
November 19, 2023 - Yasin Zainaldini executed in Shiraz on November 19.
According to the report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, at dawn on Sunday, November 19, 2023, the death sentence of a Baloch prisoner identified as Yasin Zainaldini, 30 years old, from the village of Minan, in Sarbaz, and a resident of Iranshahr, Sistan and Balochistan province, was carried out in the central prison of Shiraz.
This prisoner was arrested six years ago for drug-related charges and then sentenced to death.
So far, the news of Yasin Zainaldini's execution has not been announced in the Iranian state media.
17 November 2023 :
November 15, 2023 - Mehdi Bakhshandeh executed in Gonbad Kavous on November 15
According to information obtained by IHR, a Turkmen man was executed in Gonbad Kavous Prison, Golestan province, on 15 November. His identity has been established as Mehdi Bakhshandeh, from Karand, sentenced for murder.
Mehdi was accused of stabbing a Karand border commander on 25 December 2020. A source told IHR: “The border commander started harassing men and women at a café and beat up one of them. Mehdi Bakhshandeh had committed the murder in retaliation a few days later.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported in the Iranian media.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6322/
16 November 2023 :
November 15, 2023 - At least three men executed in Karaj on November 15
Bagher (Baqer) Mohammadi Geravand, Nazir Mohammad (Mohammadi) + Unk.
According to information obtained by IHR, at least three men were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj on 15 November. Two of the men’s identities have been established as Bagher Mohammadi Geravand, 40, and Nazir Mohammad (Mohammadi), an Afghan national. The third man’s identity has not been established at the time of writing.
All three men were sentenced to death for drug-related charges. According to Hengaw, Nazir Mohammad was instead sentenced for murder. They were transferred for execution in a group of ten. There is no news about the fate of the other seven men at this time.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by Iranian media.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6316/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/news/2023/11/15/iran-executes-two-prisoners-for-drug-related-charges-in-karaj-3/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/the-death-sentences-of-two-prisoners-including-an-afghan-citizen-carried-out-in-qezelhesar-prison-in-karaj
17 November 2023 :
November, 15, 2023 - 6 more executions in Karaj on November 15.
3 other executions have already been reported, bringing the total to 9.
Newly obtained information reveals that the executions of six other men were carried out in Ghezel Hesar Prison yesterday along with the previously reported three.
According to newly obtained information obtained by IHR, six men were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, on 15 November. Three of the men were sentenced to death for drug-related charges and three for murder. One of the men’s identities has been established as Mehdi Mosavar, who was on death row for murder. He was transferred for execution from Unit 3 of the prison.
IHR previously reported the execution of three other men at the prison that day.
A source told IHR: “13 people were transferred to solitary confinement on Tuesday (14 November). Four of the murder death row prisoners were returned to their cells after obtaining extensions in their cases and the nine others were executed.”
On 1st November, IHR reported a group execution of nine men at Ghezel Hesar Prison. A week later, another group execution of eight men took place at the prison. This is the third group execution at the prison in November.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6318/
17 November 2023 :
November 15, 2023 - Ali Shirzadeh executed in Tabriz on November 15.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed Tabriz Central Prison on 15 November. His identity has been established as 40-year-old Ali Shirzadeh from Jolfa, who was sentenced for murder. A source told IHR: “Ali Shirzadeh was married with a child. He was arrested around three years ago.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported in the Iranian media.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6320/
17 November 2023 :
November 15, 2023 - Two unidentified men executed in Kerman on November 15.
According to Haal Vsh, two men including a Baluch minority were executed in Kerman Central Prison on 15 November. The unidentified men were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court. Zarkhatoun Mazarzehi, a Baluch woman also on death row for drug charges, was previously reported to have been executed at the prison that day.
At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported in the Iranian media.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6323/
16 November 2023 :
November 15, 2023 - A woman, Zarkhatoun (Zarkhatovan) Mazarzehi (Zar-Khatoun Mazar Zehi), executed in Kerman on November 15.
According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch woman was executed in Kerman Central Prison on 15 November. Her identity has been reported as Zarkhatoun Mazarzehi, a 46-year-old widow and mother of a daughter.
Mazarzehi was arrested in 2017 while traveling in a bus to Shiraz with a package containing drugs.
A source has told IranWire that she claimed to ignore what the package contained.
The defendant was denied legal representation throughout the judicial proceedings.
She was sentenced to death Branch One of the Kerman Revolutionary Court. She was notified of the sentence on 15 March 2022 in prison.
Relatives previously told IHR: “She didn’t have access to a defence lawyer at the time of arrest. Zarkhatoon Mazarzehi has made no confessions. She didn’t know anything about the drugs they found. She had agreed to carry raw materials for cosmetics which she believed to have issues at customs, and has said at every opportunity that she wasn’t carrying drugs. Ms Mazarzehi was the breadwinner, her husband died of tuberculosis."
At the time of writing, her execution has not been reported by Iranian media.
Mazarzehi is the 19th woman executed in Iran in the 10 and a half months of 2023. She is the 222nd woman executed in Iran since 2007 based on the data compiled by the NCRI Women’s Committee.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6314/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-woman-for-drug-offenses-in-kerman-prison/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/execution-of-death-sentence-for-female-prisoner-at-kerman-prison
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/11/15/zar-khatoun-mazar-zehi/
https://iranwire.com/en/women/122532-iranian-baluch-woman-hanged-amid-spike-in-executions/
16 November 2023 :
November 14, 2023 - Arman Babazadeh Ayan executed in Salmas on November 14
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Salmas Prison on 14 November. His identity has been established Arman Babazadeh Ayan, a Turkish citizen from the village of Ayan, who was sentenced for murder.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by Iranian media.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6313/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-was-carried-out-in-salmas-central-prison
16 November 2023 :
November 14, 2023 - Unidentified man executed in Bandar Abbas.
Date of execution not specified.
State media have reported on November 14 the news of the execution, in Bandar Abbas Central Prison, of an unidentified man who had spent 17 years on death row.
According to Hamshahri Online the man was sentenced for murder. The date of his execution has not been specified. He was accused of killing his friend 17 years ago but he had always denied the allegations. His death sentence had been overturned by the Supreme Court several times, per the report.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6312/
20 November 2023 :
November 14, 2023 - Mohsen Gomshadzehi executed in Zahedan on November 14
State media have reported the execution of a Baluch man on 14 November. Identified as Mohsen Gomshadzehi, he was called a “hooligan” by a state official. Reported by Javan Online, Mohsen Gomashadzehi is alleged to have killed two policemen around ten years ago.
While the report does not specify the exact charges, “hooligan” is usually used for those sentenced to death for moharebeh (enmity against god) charges. According to Haal Vsh, his execution was carried out in Zahedan Central Prison.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6325/
16 November 2023 :
November 13, 2023 - Seyed Reza Hosseini executed in Hamedan on November 13.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Monday, November 13, 2023, the death sentence of a prisoner named, Seyed Reza Hosseini, a Turkish citizen from Mamahan, was carried out in Hamedan Central Prison.
Reliable sources confirm that this prisoner had been apprehended approximately five years ago on charges related to drug-related offenses.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by Iranian media.
14 November 2023 :
November 13, 2023 - Three Baluch political prisoners executed in Zahedan on November 13
Mohammad Barahouyi Anjomani (Brahui Anjumani), Mohammad Karim Barkazayi Akson (Barakzaei) and Edris (Idris) Bilrani.
According to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency, three Baluch men were executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 13 November. Their identities have been reported as Mohammad Barahouyi Anjomani, Mohammad Karim Barkazayi Akson and Edris Bilrani who were sentenced to death for charges of efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) through participating in terrorist acts.”
Since the start of the war in Gaza, Iran Human Rights has recorded 114 executions including 24 Baluch minorities, five of whom received the death penalty for collaborating with opposition groups.
Attributing the three men to Jaish ul-Adl, the Sistan and Baluchistan province Chief Justice, Mostafavinia said: “They were sentenced to death for corruption on earth through the terrorist bombings of the 12 Zahedan police station on 29 January 2018, participation in the terrorist explosion in the path of a police patrol car on 25 June 2019 which resulted in the injury of several police officers and the destruction of public and government property, and smuggling bomb-making equipment.”
According to Haal Vsh which reports on news about Baluch human rights, their executions were carried out secretly, without their families being notified. They were denied the right to say goodbye to their families. A source said: “These three prisoners were subjected to severe torture to extract forced confessions while held in the custody of the IRGC Intelligence organisation in Zahedan.”
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6307/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/covert-execution-of-three-baloch-political-prisoners-in-zahedan-prison
17 November 2023 :
November 13, 2023 - Shahbaz Latifi Sarini executed in Kermanshah on November 13.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Kermanshah Central Prison on 13 November. His identity has been established as 37-year-old Shahbaz Latifi Sarini, who was sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Shahbaz Latifi was accused of killing his wife and a police officer with an AK47 two years ago. He was a father of a young child.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported in the Iranian media.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6317/
18 November 2023 :
November 12, 2023 - Abdolkhalegh Parvizi executed in Ramhormoz on November 12
On Sunday, November 12, prison authorities in Ramhormoz carried out the execution of an inmate convicted of drug-related crimes, as reported by the Iran Human Rights Organization.
The executed individual has been identified as Abdolkhalegh Parvizi, a resident of Ahvaz in the Khuzestan province. He had been convicted of drug offenses three years prior to the execution.
As of the current moment, there is a lack of official confirmation from authorities or coverage by domestic media outlets within the country regarding these executions.
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-inmate-in-ramhormoz-for-drug-offenses/
13 November 2023 :
November 12, 2023 - Alireza … executed in Isfahan on November 12.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Isfahan Central Prison (Dastgerd) on 12 November. His identity has only been established as Alireza (surname unknown) who had spent around four years on death row. He was sentenced for murder.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6306/
14 November 2023 :
November 12, 2023 - Afshin Joshani and Taher Arefi executed in Shiraz on November 12.
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Shiraz Central Prison (Adel Abad) on 12 November. Their executions have been established as 30-year-old Taher Arefi and Afshin Joshani, both sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
A source told IHR: “Taher Arefi was from Shushtar and had been arrested for drug-related charges two years ago. Afshin Joshani had been transferred to Adel Abad prison from another prison and was reportedly from Morourdasht.”
IHR previously reported the executions of Vahid Salemi and Behrouz Dinarbar at the prison that day.
At the time of writing, none of the men’s executions have been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6310/
13 November 2023 :
November 12, 2023 - 3 men executed in Shiraz on November 12. Vahid Salemi (Salmi), Behrouz Dinarbar and Ahmad Mohammadi.
Three men were executed in Shiraz Central Prison on 12 November. Their identities have been established as 35-year-old Vahid Salemi from Sadra (Fars province), 50-year-old Behrouz Dinarbar, a Baloch prisoner from Kahnuj (Kerman province), and Ahmad Mohammadi, 45, from Birjand, South Khorasan.
They were sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
Behrouz had been on death row for around six years, Vahid for around three years, and Mohammadi for five. They had their last family visits the day prior to their executions. At the time of writing, these men’s executions have not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6305/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/execution-toll-in-shiraz-central-prison-rises-to-three
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/implementation-of-an-inmates-death-sentence-in-shiraz
14 November 2023 :
November 11, 2023 - Amin Barakzehi executed in Saravan on November 11.
According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch man was executed in Saravan Prison on 11 November. His identity has been reported as 40-year-old Amin Barakzehi (Nourzehi) who was sentenced for murder. He was arrested in Saravan around five years ago. At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6309/
20 November 2023 :
November 11, 2023 - Fahim Moghabeli executed in Jifoft on November 11
According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch man was executed in Jiroft Prison on 11 November. His identity has been reported as 24-year-old Fahim Moghabeli, who was sentenced for murder. He was arrested around two and a half years ago and had denied the charges.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6325/
13 November 2023 :
November 11, 2023 - Reza Arbabzehi (Arbabzahi) and Abdolhagh Gomshadzehi (Abdulhagh Gomshadzahi) executed in Zahedan on November 11. Meisam Chandani was previously reported to have been executed at the prison that day.
According to Haal Vsh, two men were executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 11 November. Their identities have been reported as Abdolhagh Gomshadzehi, a 33-year-old Baluch man and Reza Arbabzehi, a 23-year-old Afghan national.
Reza was arrested around three years ago and Abdolhagh around two years ago. They were both sentenced for murder.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6304/
https://en.iranhrs.org/increase-in-executions-in-iranian-prisons-2/
13 November 2023 :
November 11, 2023 - Meisam (Meysam) Chandani executed in Zahedan on November 11.
A political prisoner. According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch man was executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 11 November. His identity has been reported as Meisam Chandani (Dehghani) who was sentenced to death for charges of moharebeh through armed action, membership in opposition groups (Jondollah) and action against national security.
He was arrested on 28 August 2011. Informed sources said: “Meisam endured a year of physical and psychological torture in the Intelligence’s detention centre in Zahedan. They used the “miracle bed” (prisoners are tied to a metal bed and lashed with a fan belts until they confess) and flogging and beating him with cables and plastic pipes. It caused him severe mental illness and memory loss, he’d lost his mental balance.”
Chandani was transferred from the Security Ward (9) of the prison for execution.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6302/
https://en.iranhrs.org/meysam-chandani-was-executed-in-zahedan-iran/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/execution-of-baloch-political-prisoner-meysam-chandani-in-zahedan-central-prison
12 November 2023 :
November 9, 2023 - Akbar … executed in Tabriz “in the last week”.
According to Rokna (state media), a man was executed in Tabriz Central Prison in the last week. The ma only named as Akbar was sentenced for murder. He had allegedly killed someone during a group fight on 7 August 2019.
Iran Human Rights | Article: Unidentified Man Executed in Tabriz | (iranhr.net)
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-three-inmates-in-kashan-and-tabriz/
12 November 2023 :
November 9, 2033 - Abdolreza Gholami executed in Kerman on November 9.
According to a report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Thursday, November 9, 2023, the death sentence of Abdul Reza Gholami, a 30-year-old prisoner from Jiroft, Kerman province, was executed in the central prison of Kerman city.
The received report indicates that Gholami was arrested on the charge of murder when he was under legal age. The investigation in this field is ongoing, and until the time of this reporting, Hengaw is not able to confirm it.
The news of Gholami’s execution has yet to be officially disclosed through government media outlets, as of the writing of this news update.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/execution-of-a-prisoner-in-kerman-central-prison
13 November 2023 :
November 9, 2023 - Hojat Gharebiglu (Hojjat Qareh Bigloo) executed in Zanjan on November 9.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Zanjan Central Prison on 9 November. His identity has been established as 62-year-old Hojat Gharebiglu, sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Gharebiglu was from Ardabil but lived in Tabriz. He worked on a cattle farm with his son prior to arrest. His son fell in love with a girl in the village and because her family didn’t approve, they ran away together. The girl’s two brothers attacked Hojat in retaliation and he shot them with a rifle, causing one of their deaths.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6303/
https://en.iranhrs.org/increase-in-executions-in-iranian-prisons-2/
12 November 2023 :
November 8, 2023 - 2 unidentified men executed in Bandar Abbas on November 8.
According to Hamshahri Online (State media), two men were executed in Bandarabbas Central Prison on 8 November.
The identities of the executed inmates were not disclosed. Both had received the death penalty for offenses related to drug activities.
One of the unnamed men was 62 years old and had been sentenced to death for trafficking 350 kilograms of heroin. The other was a young man accused of trafficking 15 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Iran Human Rights | Article: 2 Unidentified Men Executed in Bandarabbas | (iranhr.net)
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-bandar-abbas/
Execution of 15 prisoners in one day - Iran HRM (iran-hrm.com)
12 November 2023 :
November 8, 2023 - Unnamed man executed in Kerman on November 8.
According to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency (state media), a man was executed in Kerman Central Prison on 8 November. The unnamed man was sentenced for murder.
He had allegedly set fire to a residential building, causing the death of seven people and injuring three.
Iran Human Rights | Article: Unnamed Man Executed in Kerman | (iranhr.net)
09 November 2023 :
November 8, 2023 - 9 prisoners executed in Karaj on November 8.
Rasul Taimuri (Rasoul Teymouri), Hossein Hawasi, Bahman Fethullahzadeh (Fathollahi, Fathollah Zadeh) + 6 Unk.
At least nine prisoners who had been transferred to solitary confinement on 7 November were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison.
The names of two of the executed prisoners were Rasul Taimuri (Rasoul Teymouri), Hossein Hawasi, Bahman Fethullahzadeh (Fathollahi, Fathollah Zadeh), but there is no information about the other six.
Hrana and Hengaw write that the executed men in Ghezel Hesar are “at least 9”, while according to KHRN they were “at least 8”.
Teymouri, 52, from Kuhdasht in Lorestan Province, was arrested in 2015 on drug-related charges.
Fathollahi, from Tehran’s Khazaneh district, was arrested on similar charges about four years ago.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/news/2023/11/08/iran-executes-at-least-nine-prisoners-in-kermanshah-karaj/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-nine-inmates-in-qezel-hesar-prison-karaj/
12 November 2023 :
November 8, 2023 - Amin Khorshidi executed in Urmia on November 8.
Khorshidi, convicted of murder, had been transferred to solitary confinement, on Wednesday morning.
Execution of 15 prisoners in one day - Iran HRM (iran-hrm.com)
09 November 2023 :
November 8, 2023 - Farhad Aghaei (Aghayi) executed in Kermanshah on November 8.
According to a report obtained by Hengaw, in the early hours of Wednesday, November 8, 2023, the execution of Farhad Aghaei, a 32-year-old inmate hailing from the village of Badrabad in Ravansar, took place within the premises of Kermanshah Central Prison, also known as Dizel Abad.
According to a reliable source, Farhad Aghaei was apprehended seven years ago on charges of murdering his nephew with the intent to pilfer gold and jewelry. At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media inside Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/execution-of-a-prisoner-from-ravansar-in-kermanshah-central-prison
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/news/2023/11/08/iran-executes-at-least-nine-prisoners-in-kermanshah-karaj/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-nine-inmates-in-qezel-hesar-prison-karaj/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6295/
12 November 2023 :
November 8, 2023 - Khodadad Rahimi and Saber Alikhani executed in Kashan on November 8.
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Kashan Prison on 8 November. Their identities have been established as 40-year-old Khodadad Rahimi and 31-year-old Saber Alikhani who were both sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court. Khodadad had been on death row for around three years and Saber for around two years.
A source told IHR: “There are currently 45 death row prisoners in Kashan Prison whose sentences have been upheld by the Supreme Court. Most of them were sentenced for murder. A prison official recently told three of the prisoners to talk to the plaintiffs in their case to obtain forgiveness, otherwise the judiciary has ordered for all those with confirmed death sentences to be executed.”
At the time of writing, the two men’s executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
Iran Human Rights | Article: Khodadad Rahimi and Saber Alikhani Executed in Kashan; 45 Others at Risk | (iranhr.net)
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-three-inmates-in-kashan-and-tabriz/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/execution-of-two-inmates-in-kashan-prison
13 November 2023 :
November 8, 2023 - Shahram Ali Abbasi executed in Gorgan on November 8.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Gorgan Central Prison on 8 November. His identity has been established as 38-year-old Shahram Ali Abbasi from Langroud.
Per IHR sources, he was arrested for murder charges and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind).
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6301/
13 November 2023 :
November 07, 2023 - Alireza Partowi executed in Kermanshah on November 7
With the recent identity verification of an executed prisoner, Alireza Partowi, from Sonqor city, in Kermanshah prison, the toll of executed inmates in this facility has now reached two. Hengaw had previously reported on the execution of Farhad Aghaie in the same prison.
According to reports received by Hengaw on Wednesday, November 7, 2023, the death sentence of Alireza Partowi, a Kurdish individual from Sonqor city in Kermanshah province, was carried out in the central prison of the city.
Based on reliable sources, Alireza Partowi had been taken into custody and sentenced to death for the first-degree murder of his brother, committed with a firearm.
The body of the executed prisoner was relocated to his family residence in the Bagher Abad neighborhood of Qarchak city (Tehran province) and subsequently buried.
09 November 2023 :
November 6, 2023 - Hamed Barahouyi (Brahui) executed in Isfahan on November 6.
According to information obtained by IHR, a Baluch man was executed in Isfahan Central Prison (Dastgerd) on 6 November. His identity has been established as Hamed Barahouyi, a 37-year-old from Zahedan, who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
A source told IHR: “Hamed Barahouyi was arrested for drug charges in Isfahan around four years ago. He was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution on 5 November. His last visit with his family took place that same afternoon.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6291/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/execution-of-a-baloch-prisoner-in-isfahan-central-prison
09 November 2023 :
November 8, 2023 - Akbar Farokhi (Farrokhi, Farrokhi) executed in Urmia on November 8.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Urmia Central Prison on 8 November. His identity has been established as Akbar Farokhi, an Azerbaijani Turkic from Urmia, who was arrested about four years ago for murder.
Akbar Farokhi was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution along with another murder death row prisoner, Amin Khorshidi, on 6 November. The second man managed to obtain an extension from the plaintiffs in his case at the last minute and was returned to his cell.
At the time of writing, Akbar Farokhi’s execution has not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6294/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/news/2023/11/08/prisoner-executed-for-murder-related-charges-in-orumiyeh-2/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-carried-out-in-urmia-prison
07 November 2023 :
November 5, 2023 - Ghasem Abasteh (Qasim Abesteh), a Kurdish-Sunni political prisoner, executed in Ghezel Hesar on November 5.
Emphasising the inhumanity of the death penalty, IHR condemns Ghasem Abasteh’s death sentence based on torture-tainted forced confessions and execution. Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “Ghasem Abasteh’s execution has no legal basis even according to the Islamic Republic’s own laws and is an extrajudicial state murder. Ali Khamenei and the repressive institutions under his command must be held accountable for this crime.”
“The judiciary of the Islamic Republic demonstrates even greater disregard for the law in cases involving ethnic minorities, where they make no effort to even maintain a lawful appearance,” he added.
According to IHR statistics, more than 90% of those executed for security-related charges (moharebeh, efsad-fil-arz and baghy) in the last 13 years were Kurdish (51%), Baluch (28%) and Arab (15%).
According to information obtained by IHR, Kurdish-Sunni political prisoner Ghasem Abasteh, a Kurdish religious prisoner from Mahabad, was executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison on 5 November, after serving 13 years and 9 months of imprisonment.
Ghasem Abasteh was sentenced to death for charges of moharebeh (enmity against god) and efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) through “armed resistance and membership in a Salafi jihadi group” in a case with seven defendants by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court in February/March 2016. One of their charges related to the death of a Sunni cleric named Mamousta Abdolrahim Tina.
The sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court and sent to Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court for retrial. On 17 June 2017, they were resentenced to death by the Court presided over by “death judge” Salavati. Their death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court 3 February 2020.
One of Ghasem Abasteh’s relatives told IHR: “The seven prisoners were physically and mentally tortured to extract forced confessions. Despite years passing, the signs of torture were still visible on Ghasem’s body.”
Ghasem was arrested in January 2010 along with Anwar Khezri, Davoud Abdollahi, Farhad Salimi, Khosro Besharat, Kamran Sheikheh and Ayoub Karimi. They were interrogated in Urmia before being transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran. They were subsequently transferred to Gohardasht (Rajai Shahr) Prison in Karaj where they were held until its closure in August when they were transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison.
A source told IHR: “These seven prisoners were expelled from the Mahabad Salafi group for drinking alcohol exactly 8 months prior to their arrest. They were accused of killing Mamousta Abdolrahim Tina after their expulsion.”
“Ghasem Abasteh and the other six men repeatedly denied any involvement in Mamousta’s death and said they’d already been expelled at that time. The only reason we met with them is the 1 million tomans they paid. In prison, they weren’t even allowed to pray next to the Salafi prisoners because they were completely rejected by this group. Ghasem was the last defendant in the case, so the other six men’s families are worried that they may be executed soon,” the source added.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6290/
https://www.en-hrana.org/sunni-prisoner-ghasem-abasteh-executed-in-qezel-hesar-karaj/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/the-death-sentence-of-qasim-abesteh-a-kurdish-religious-prisoner-carried-out-in-the-qezelhesar-prison-in-karaj
04 November 2023 :
November 4, 2023 - Saied Alizehi and Esmaiel Alizehi executed in Zahedan on November 4
According to a report received by Hengaw, on Saturday, November 4, the death penalty of two Baloch brothers, residents of Zabol, Sistan-Balouchestan province, identified as Saied, 25 years old, and Esmaiel Alizehi, 29 years old, and the father of two children, was carried out in Zahedan Central Prison.
According to the Haalvsh news website, these two prisoners were taken into custody two years ago for drug-related crimes and later sentenced to death.
The execution of these two prisoners was carried out covertly, without notifying their families or exercising their right of last visit. It’s important to note that neither of these two Baloch individuals possessed Iranian citizenship or any form of identity documentation.
04 November 2023 :
November 2, 2023 - Hossein Golmohammadi executed in Arak on November 2
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Thursday, November 2, 2023, the death sentence of a 32-year-old prisoner named Hossein Golmohammadi from Arak was carried out in the central prison of Arak City, the capital of Markazi Province.
One of the relatives of Golmohammadi's family told Hengaw: "Hossein Golmohammadi was arrested 4 years ago and later sentenced to death by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court of Arak on drug-related charges."
The news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced in the Iranian state media.
04 November 2023 :
November 2, 2023 - 4 men executed in Isfahan on November 2
Ebrahim Naroi (Narui, Narooie), Nasir Karimi, and Ali Hadi + Unk.
According to a report received by Hengaw, on the early morning of Thursday, November 2, 2023, the death sentences of three inmates, 32-year-old Nasir Karimi from Fuman city, 31-year-old Ali Hadi from Safadasht city, and 42-year-old Ebrahim Naroi, a Baloch citizen residing in Golestan province, were executed in Isfahan Central Prison.
Ebrahim Naroi had been in custody for 5 years, Nasir Karimi for 3 years, and Ali Hadi for 2 years, all of them convicted of drug-related crimes.
There has been no news coverage of the execution of these three prisoners in government media outlets inside Iran.
According to other sources (Hrana, IHRS, Haal Vsh) the inmates executed that day in Isfahan were 4, but the fourth man has not been identified, except for the fact that he was a resident of Tehran
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/implementation-of-the-death-sentence-of-three-prisoners-in-isfahan-central-prison
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-isfahan-prison/
https://en.iranhrs.org/isfahan-zahedan-prisons-6-executions-transferring/
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-isfahan-prison/
04 November 2023 :
November 1, 2023 - 6 men executed in Karaj on November 1.
Ehsan Haddad, Abbas Anarki, Kuchak Behrouz, Mohsen Abbasi, Yadalollah Farrokhi and Sadegh Tajik.
In Karaj’s Ghezel Hesar Prison, six prisoners were executed on November 1. The names of these prisoners were Ehsan Haddad, Abbas Anarki (Anaraki), a prisoner named Kuchak Behrouz (Behrooz), Mohsen Abbasi, Yadalollah Farrokhi (Yadollah Foruoughi, Farokhi), and Sadegh Tajik (an Afghan national).
Sadegh Tajik, Abbas Anarki, and Ehsan Haddad charged with murder and sentenced to death for this charge. Mohsen Abbasi and Yadalollah Farrokhi involved in drug-related offenses. Kuchak Behrouz was charged with rape and murder.
https://en.iranhrs.org/executing-of-a-female-and-six-men-in-one-day/
https://www.en-hrana.org/five-inmates-executed-at-qezel-hesar-prison/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6281/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/the-death-sentences-of-two-prisoners-were-carried-out-in-ghezel-hesar-prison-in-karaj
04 November 2023 :
November 1, 2023 - Maryam Foroughmanesh (Forough-Manesh), a woman executed in Yasuj on November 1.
According to information obtained by IHR, a woman was executed in Yasuj Central Prison on 1 November. Her identity has been established as Maryam Foroughmanesh, from Dehdasht, who was sentenced for the murder of her husband.
A man was reportedly executed along with Maryam which IHR has been unable to verify at the time of writing.
Iran is the biggest executioner of women. Maryam Foroughmanesh is the 15th woman execution recorded in 2023. On 7 September, IHR reported that of the 200 women executions recorded since 2010, 94 were executed for drug-related charges, 90 for murder, four for “participating in immoral sexual acts and misusing drugs,” two for espionage and one for moharebeh (enmity against god). The charges against nine of the women are unknown.
Only 55 (27.5%) of the 200 executions were announced by official sources. The remainder were reported by human rights organisations and activists, and verified by IHR. Transparency has dramatically decreased since 2020 with only 2 out of 45 executions officially reported between 2021 and September 2023.
At the time of writing, her execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6282/
https://en.iranhrs.org/executing-of-a-female-and-six-men-in-one-day/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-maryam-forough-manesh-in-yasuj-prison/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/execution-of-the-death-sentence-of-a-female-prisoner-in-yasuj-prison
02 November 2023 :
November 1, 2023 - Sadegh Tajik and Yadollah Farrokhi executed in Karaj on November 1
According to IHRS, on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 two prisoners named Sadegh Tajik and Yadollah Farrokhi were executed in Ghezel-Hesar prison of Karaj.
Sadegh Tajik, a citizen of Afghanistan, was accused of murder, while Yadollah Farrokhi, from Kuhdasht of Lorestan Province, was sentenced on drug-related charges.
https://en.iranhrs.org/iran-execution-of-two-prisoners-in-karaj/
04 November 2023 :
October 30, 2023 - Heydar Salkhord, Shahab Sadeghzadeh, and Mansour Taqvaei executed in Shiraz on October 30
According to a report received by Hengaw, on Monday, October 30, 2023, the death sentences of two inmates, Shahab Sadeghzadeh, 31 years old, and Mansour Taqvaei, 35 years old, both residents of Arsenjan, previously sentenced to death for drug trafficking offenses, involving the possession of 85 kilograms of Chrystals and heroin, were executed within the premises of Shiraz Central Prison.
These two inmates had been arrested two years ago and were subsequently sentenced to death by the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in a joint case.
Simultaneously, the death sentence for an inmate named Heydar Salkhord, a resident of Shiraz, who had been detained three years ago on charges of homicide, was also carried out at Shiraz Central Prison.
As of the time of this reporting, the news of the execution of these three inmates has not been officially announced in government-controlled media.
02 November 2023 :
October 30, 2023 - Unidentified man executed on October 30
At an unspecified prison in Golestan province
State media have reported the execution of an unidentified man for murder in Golestan province.
According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), a man was executed at an unspecified prison in Golestan province on 30 October. The unidentified man was sentenced for the murder of a policeman in the village of Ramian, in Golestan province, on 16 September 2022.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6280/
02 November 2023 :
October 30, 2023 - Jalil Nutizehi (Nutizhi (Zaroozhi)) executed in Isfahan on October 30.
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in an unspecified Isfahan prison on 30 October. His identity has been established as 30-year-old Jalil Nutizehi (Zaruzehi), from Zahedan, who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
He was arrested at the Nayin checkpoint in Isfahan over eight years ago. He was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution on 27 October.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6277/
https://en.iranhrs.org/four-prisoners-executed-within-a-day/
02 November 2023 :
October 30, 2023 - Hamid Takavar executed in Karaj on October 30.
According to information by IHR, a man was executed in Karaj Penitentiary on 30 October. His identity has been established as 31-year-old Hamid Takavar, who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6276/
https://en.iranhrs.org/four-prisoners-executed-within-a-day/
02 November 2023 :
October 30, 2023 - Jalal Vahdati and Khalil Mohammadi executed in Khorramabad on October 30.
According to information by IHR, two men were executed in Khorramabad Central Prison (Parsilion) on 30 October. Their identities have been established as Jalal Vahdati from Aligudarz and Khalil Mohammadi from Kermanshah, who were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6275/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/news/2023/10/31/iran-executes-prisoner-for-drug-related-charges-in-khorramabad/
https://en.iranhrs.org/four-prisoners-executed-within-a-day/
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-khorramabad-for-drug-offenses/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/execution-of-two-prisoners-in-khorramabad-central-prison
04 November 2023 :
October 29, 2023 - Shamsollah Banani (Banayie) executed in Ahar on October 29
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Ahar Prison on 29 October. His identity has been established as 42-year-old Shamsollah Banani from from Takestan, Qazvin province. He was sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Shamsollah Banani was arrested three years ago and sentenced to qisas. He was accused of murder over financial issues.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6285/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-was-carried-out-in-ahar-central-prison
07 November 2023 :
October 28, 2023 - Davood (Dawood, Davud) Behzadi executed in Esfarayen on October 28.
According to IHRS, a Kurdish prisoner from Esfarayen in North Khorasan province, named Davood Behzadi was executed at dawn on Saturday, October 28, in Esfarayen Prison. Behzadi, 27, was arrested seven years ago at the age of 20 on the charge of murder.
https://en.iranhrs.org/increase-in-executions-in-iranian-prisons/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/a-kurdish-prisoner-in-north-khorasan-was-subjected-to-execution
28 October 2023 :
October 26, 2023 - Over the past several days, the death sentence of a young prisoner, previously convicted of intentional murder, was executed in one of Tehran's prisons. The "Etemad Online" website reported that this prisoner had been detained for the murder of a girl he was in love with due to a perceived "involvement with another man." Subsequently, a death sentence was pronounced by Branch 11 of the Criminal Court in Tehran province.
28 October 2023 :
October 26, 2023 - Amir Hossein Dashtban executed in Tabriz on October 26.
The death sentence of Amir Hossein Dashtban, a 22-year-old resident of Yengejeh village in Azarshahr county, was carried out at the Tabriz Central Prison.
According to a report obtained by Hengaw, this execution took place at dawn on Thursday, October 26, 2023. Dashtban had been arrested on May 4, 2020, on charges of murder. Remarkably, he was only 18 years, 6 months, and 21 days old when he committed the crime.
A source close to Dashtban's family revealed that a burial ceremony was held for him on Thursday afternoon in his birthplace.
The news of Amir Hossein Dashtban's execution has not been reported in government-affiliated media at the time of preparing this report.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/title-execution-of-a-22-year-old-in-tabriz-prison
28 October 2023 :
October 26, 2023 - 5 men executed in Birjand on October 26.
According to Hal Vash, 5 men, all sentenced for drugs, were executed in Birjand Central Prison on 26 October. Their identities have been reported as Abdolbasir (Abdul Basir) Mohammadani (Rend), Baluch, 30, Mohammad Nabi Shahuzehi (Mohammad-Nabi Shahoo-Zahi (Lojei)), Baluch, 55, Mohammad Mirshah, Reza Shahraki and Omid Javini (Jovini). Mohammadani was arrested four years ago. Shahuzehi was from Dargian village in Zahedan. He was the maternal uncle of Khodanoor Lajaei, a protester killed in Zahedan’s Bloody Friday on 30 September 2022. He was arrested for drug-related charges three years ago.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6268/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6266/
https://www.en-hrana.org/five-inmates-executed-in-birjand-for-drug-related-convictions/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/increase-in-executed-prisoners-to-five-at-birjand-central-prison
26 October 2023 :
October 25, 2023 - Hayatollah Eiduzehi executed in Kerman on October 25.
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in Kerman Central Prison on 25 October. His identity has been reported as 30-year-old Hayatollah Eiduzehi from Zahedan, sentence to death for drug-related charges.
Sources said: “Hayatollah was arrested for drug-related charges in Kerman five years ago but no drugs had been found. He denied the charges in court but the Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death. He had a last visit with his family the day prior.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6261/
28 October 2023 :
October 25, 2023 - 2 unidentified men executed in Karaj on October 25.
According to Hamshahri Online (state media), two men were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj on 25 October. The unidentified men were sentenced for murder.
One of the men was accused of killing two women after a financial dispute on 19 October 2018. The second man was also accused of killing a woman in the summer of 2021.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6264/
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-at-qezel-hesar-prison-for-murder-convictions/
26 October 2023 :
October 25, 2023 - Jalil Seyed Rezaei executed in Qazvin on October 25.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Qazvin Central Prison on 25 October. His identity has been established as 40-year-old Jalil Seyed Rezaei, who was sentenced for murder. Sources said: “Jalil Seyed Rezaei was a father of one and had been arrested three years ago. He was a car salesman prior to his arrest.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6262/
26 October 2023 :
October 24, 2023 - Man executed in Khoy on October 24
Identified only as A.M.
According to the state media ‘Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)’, a man was executed in Khoy Prison in Western Azerbaijan province on 24 October. The man, only identified as A.M., was sentenced for murder. He had allegedly committed murder with a firearm.
Naser Atbati, the Prosecutor of Western Azerbaijan province said: “The convict had committed murder in 2014 and the sentence was carried out following the plaintiff’s request for qisas.”
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6260/
25 October 2023 :
October 24, 2023 - 2 unidentified men executed in Karaj on October 24
On October 24, 2023, two inmates convicted of rape were executed in Ghezel-Hesar Prison, located in Karaj.
The identity of these inmates, who are Afghan nationals, remains undisclosed at this time. HRANA is actively engaged in efforts to ascertain the identities of the men.
As of the time of this report, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of these executions.
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-qezel-hesar-prison-karaj/
24 October 2023 :
October 23, 2023 - 3 men executed in Shiraz on October 23.
Asghar Jafari, Majid Mousayi (Musayi) and Ali Kheirbin (Khairbin).ùAccording to information obtained by IHR, three men were executed in Shiraz Central Prison (Adel Abad) on 23 October. Their identities have been established as 40-year-old Asghar Jafari, 38-year-old Majid Mousayi and 42-year-old Ali Kheirbin.
Asghar Jafari was arrested three years ago and Majid and Ali were arrested in the same case two years ago. They were all sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6257/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/the-death-sentences-of-two-baloch-prisoners-were-carried-out-in-isfahan-and-zahedan-prisons
26 October 2023 :
October 22, 2023 - Davoud Heidari executed in Karaj on October 22.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Karaj Penitentiary on 22 October. His identity has been established as 49-year-old Davoud Heidari, sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
Sources told IHR: “Davoud Heidari was from Shamiran and had been sentenced to death for carrying 25 kilograms of morphine.”
IHR previously reported the execution of Khosro Naghiani for the same charges at the same prison that day.
Davoud Heidari and Khosro Naghiani were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions from Ward 2 of the prison. At the time of writing, neither of their executions have been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6259/
24 October 2023 :
October 22, 2023 - Khosro Naghiani (Khosrow Naghian) executed in Karaj on October 22.
According to information obtained by IHR, at least one man was executed in Karaj Penitentiary (Central Prison) on 22 October. His identity has been established as Khosro (Khosrow) Naghiani who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
Sources told IHR that he was arrested for being in possession of 30 kilograms of heroin.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6254/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-was-carried-out-in-karaj-central-prison
https://en.iranhrs.org/execution-of-at-least-5-people-in-iran/
24 October 2023 :
October 21, 2023 - 1 man and 1 woman executed in Isfahan on October 21
Davoud Jalali and an unidentified woman
According to information obtained by IHR, a Baluch man and a woman were executed in Isfahan Central Prison (Dastgerd) on 21 October. The Baluch man’s identity has been established as 37-year-old Davoud Jalali from Saleh Abad county.
The woman’s identity has not been established at the time of writing. A source told IHR: “The woman was from Daran county, and was sentenced for murder. She was transferred for execution from Dolat Abad Prison.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6255/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/the-death-sentences-of-two-baloch-prisoners-were-carried-out-in-isfahan-and-zahedan-prisons
24 October 2023 :
October 21, 2023 - 2 men executed in Zahedan on October 21.
Zaher Narouyi (Naroui) (Shirzehi) + Unk.
According to Hal Vash, two Baluch men were executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 21 October. One of the men’s identities has been reported as 32-year-old Zaher Narouyi (Shirzehi). They were both on death row for drug-related charges.
Zaher was arrested at his home in Zahedan around three years ago and sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Zahedan Revolutionary Court. He was transferred for execution along with an unidentified man.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6252/
https://en.iranhrs.org/zahedan-prison-execution-of-two-prisoners/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/the-death-sentences-of-two-baloch-prisoners-were-carried-out-in-isfahan-and-zahedan-prisons
28 October 2023 :
October 19, 2023 - Hamed Heidari executed in Rasht on October 19.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Rasht Central Prison (Lakan) on 19 October. His identity has been established as 24-year-old Hamed Hediari who was sentenced for murder. Informed sources told IHR that Hamed was arrested around four years ago.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6267/
29 October 2023 :
October 19, 2023 - Hossein Ali Dil Baluch executed in Birjand on October 19.
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in Birjand Central Prison on 19 October. His identity has been reported as 27-year-old Hossein Ali Dil Baluch.
He was arrested for drug charges over two years ago. At 3:30 am on 19 October, he was transferred from the ward without prior notice. His execution was carried out without his family being notified and the chance to say goodbye to them. They were contacted later that day to collect the body.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6273/
19 October 2023 :
October 19, 2023 - Vahid Rashidi Garavand executed in Aligudarz on October 19.
According to information obtained by IHR, at least one man was executed in Aligudarz Prison, in Lorestan province, on 19 October. His identity has been established as Vahid Rashidi Garavand, who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
There are reports that at least one other man was executed along with Vahid which IHR has not been able to verify at the time of writing. It continues to investigate the reports.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6243/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/execution-of-three-prisoners-in-aligudarz-and-khorramabad-prisons
22 October 2023 :
October 19, 2023 - Arman Rezazadeh executed in Rasht on October 19.
According to a report obtained by Hengaw, on the early morning of Thursday, October 19, 2023, the death sentence of Arman Rezazadeh was carried out within the confines of Rasht Central Prison, in the Gilan province.
Reliable sources confirm that this prisoner had been apprehended approximately three years ago on charges related to premeditated murder and subsequently received a death sentence through the judicial system of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
At the time of composing this report the news of Arman Rezazadeh's execution has not been officially disseminated through government-affiliated media outlets.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/execution-of-prisoner-in-rasht-central-prison
20 October 2023 :
October 19, 2023 - Mohammad-Ali Vahidi (Dehmardeh) executed in Gonbad-e Kavus on October 19.
On October 19, Gonbad-e Kavus Prison, in Golestan province, carried out the execution of an inmate convicted of murder, according to reports from Haal Vsh.
The individual executed was Mohammad-Ali Vahidi (Dehmardeh), a 56-year-old man who was married and a father of two.
Vahidi had been sentenced to death for murder five years ago. As of now, there have been no official statements from government sources or coverage in domestic media regarding this execution within the country.
https://www.en-hrana.org/inmate-executed-for-murder-in-gonbad-e-kavus/
19 October 2023 :
October 19, 2023 - Vahid Kakavand and Fathollah Rashnu (Fethullah Reshno, Rashtu) executed in Khorramabad on October 19. According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Khorramabad Central Prison in Lorestan province on 19 October. Their identities have been established as Vahid Kakavand and Fathollah Rashnu who were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6247/
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-khorramabad-2/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/execution-of-three-prisoners-in-aligudarz-and-khorramabad-prisons
19 October 2023 :
October 18, 2023 - At least 10 men were executed in Karaj on October 18
Hojat Beg Rezaei, Shahab Shahbazi, Mohammad Behzadi + 7 Unk.
At least ten men who all appear to have been sentenced to death for drug-related charges, were executed in Qezel Hesar Prison. Per initial reports, the number of executions may be higher.
Strongly condemning the group executions in Iran, IHR calls on the international community for a strong reaction. Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which collaborates with the Islamic Republic on combating drug trafficking, has an obligation to take action against arbitrary drug executions. The UN’s silence on these executions is a green light of approval.”
One of the men’s identities has been established as Hojat Beg Rezaei.
HRANA has reported the identities of two others as Shahab Shahbazi and Mohammad Behzadi who were also on death row for drug-related charges.
Hengaw wrote of “Mohammad Behzadi from Kerman and Farshad Shahbazi from Tehran”.
The identities and exact charges against the other seven men have not been established at the time of writing.
Meanwhile, at least four other drug death row prisoners have been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions in Karaj Penitentiary which is located near Qezel Hesar Prison.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6245/
https://www.en-hrana.org/tragic-execution-of-ten-inmates-at-qezel-hesar-prison/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/the-death-sentences-of-two-prisoners-were-carried-out-in-ghezel-hesar-prison-in-karaj
19 October 2023 :
October 19, 2023 - Khodabakhsh … executed in Zahedan on October 18.
According to Hal Vash, at least one Baluch man was executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 18 October. His identity has been reported as Khodabkhash (surname unknown), who was around 27 and sentenced to death for rape charges.
A source said: “Khodabakhsh was arrested for rape charges in Saravan on 3 August 2022 and sentenced to death. He was transferred from the general ward of Zahedan Central Prison on 17 October and his sentence carried out this morning.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6246/
20 October 2023 :
October 17, 2023 - 3 men executed in Khorramabad on October 17.
Sajad Moradi, Yaser Golzardian + Unk.
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Khorramabad Central Prison (Parsilon Prison) on 17 October. Their identities have been established as 38-year-old Sajad Moradi from Doroud, and Yasser Golzardian from Kouhdasht, both sentenced to death for drug-related charges. HRANA is diligently working on confirming the identity of the third inmate.
A source told IHR: “Sajad Moradi was arrested around four years ago, and Yaser Golzardian was arrested around six years ago. They were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions on 16 October.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6240/
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-executed-in-khorramabad/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/the-death-sentences-of-two-prisoners-were-carried-out-in-parsilon-prison-in-khorramabad
20 October 2023 :
October 17, 2023 - … Ketabi executed in Rasht on October 17.
On October 17, 2023, Rasht’s Lakan Prison witnessed the execution of an inmate found guilty of drug-related offenses.
HRANA has identified the executed prisoner as Ketabi; however, his first name remains unknown.
At the time of writing, no domestic media outlets within the country have reported on this execution.
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-carried-out-in-rashts-lakan-prison-for-drug-offenses/
20 October 2023 :
October 17, 2023 - Nader Karami executed in Gorgan on October 17.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Gorgan Central Prison on 17 October. His identity has been established as 32-year-old Nader Karami, who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
A source told IHR: “Nader Karami was arrested with another man around three years ago. His co-defendant was sentenced to a prison term and Nader was sentenced to death as the first defendant.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6239/
19 October 2023 :
October 17, 2023 - Nazem Abayi and Baluch Ali Barzang executed in Isfahan on October 17.
According to information obtained by IHR, at least two men including a Baluch minority, were executed in Isfahan Central Prison on 17 October. Their identities have been established as 40-year-old Ali Barzang (Chaman), a Baluch minority, and 32-year-old Nazem Abayi, who were both on death row for drug-related charges.
A source told IHR: “Ali Barzang was from Rigan county in Kerman province and had been arrested around four years ago. He was a father of four. Nazem Abayi was from Shahin Shahr in Isfahan and was arrested and sentenced to death around two years ago. He had married four months prior to his arrest.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6242/
20 October 2023 :
October 15, 2023 - Unidentified man executed in Ardabil on October 15.
According to Tasnim (state media), a man was executed in Ardabil Central Prison on 15 October. The unidentified man was sentenced for murder.
Amin Ranjbar, the Deputy Prosecutor of Ardabil province said: “On 28 October 2021, this individual stabbed his father-in-law in Ardabil during a family dispute”.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6238/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-two-inmates-in-zanjan-and-ardabil/
20 October 2023 :
October 14, 2023 - Ali Asghar Cheraghifar (Cheraghi Far) executed in Zanjan on October 14.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Zanjan Central Prison on 14 October. His identity has been established as 39-year-old Ali Asghar Cheraghifar, who was sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Ali Asghar Cheraghifar was a taxi driver and was arrested for killing one of his passengers following an argument around three years ago.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6237/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-two-inmates-in-zanjan-and-ardabil/
18 October 2023 :
October 12, 2023 - Hossein Mohammadi executed in Rasht on October 12.
According to information obtained by IHR, a Kurdish man was executed in Rasht Central Prison on 12 October. His identity has been established as 52-year-old Hossein Mohammadi, sentenced for drug-related charges.
One of his relatives told IHR: “12 years ago, Hossein Mohammadi needed to go to Tehran to organise his son’s wedding. His neighbour told Hossein, I have a car, let’s go together and you can help me on the way there. His neighbour had drugs with him and they were arrested on the route.”
“Two of Hossein Mohammadi’s relatives were previously executed. One of them, Esmail Mohammadi, was executed for membership in Komala party in 2005,” he added.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6234/
20 October 2023 :
October 11, 2023 - Abbas Ali Maghami and Mehdi Shadab executed in Tabriz on October 11.
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Tabriz Central Prison on 11 October. Their identities have been established as Abbas Ali Maghami and Mehdi Shadab, who were sentenced to death for drug-related charges in the same case.
A source told IHR: “Abbas Ali Maghami and Mehdi Shadab were friends and co-defendants who were arrested around three years ago and sentenced to death. One was a lorry driver and the other was the driver’s assistance.”
At the time of writing, these executions have not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6236/
18 October 2023 :
October 11, 2023 - Shahab …executed in Qezel Hesar on October 11.
According to State media Etemad Online, a man was executed in Qezel Hesar Prison, in Karaj, on 11 October. The unidentified was sentenced for murder.
Rokna reported his identity as Shahab (surname unknown), who was arrested for the murder of a friend on 6 November 2011. He had escaped at the time and was arrested seven years later.
According to his confessions published in Etemad Online: “The murdered man and I were friends. On the night of the incident, we had gone to a café and were both intoxicated. I don’t know how we started arguing and I attacked him with a knife. I stabbed him in the stomach and chest several times and ran away.”
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6232/
18 October 2023 :
October 11, 2023 - Three men executed in Qezel Hesar on October 11.
Nazir Mohammad Tajik, Nour Mohammad Barbari, and Shahab Elhami.
This brings the number of people executed at the prison that day to four.
According to HRANA, three men were executed in Qezel Hear Prison in Karaj on 11 October. Their identities have been established as Nazir Mohammad Tajik and Nour Mohammad Barbari, both Afghan nationals, and Shahab Elhami.
All three men were sentenced for murder. They were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions along with another man. State media reported the execution of a man identified only as ‘Shahab‘ at the prison that day.
At the time of writing, the three men's executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6235/
18 October 2023 :
October 11, 2023 - Hossein Bahrehmand executed in Hamedan on October 11.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Hamedan Central Prison on 11 October. His identity has been established as Hossein Bahrehmand, sentence for drug-related charges.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6233/
18 October 2023 :
October 10, 2023 - Hossein Alizadeh executed in Bam on October 10.
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in Bam Prison on 10 October. His identity has been reported as 30-year-old Hossein Alizadeh, who was sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Hossein was arrested for murder charges in Rigan around ten years ago. He was transferred to Bam Prison and sentenced to death by the Bam Criminal Court. He was transferred to solitary confinement from the general ward on 9 October and executed in the early hours of 10 October.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6230/
18 October 2023 :
October 10, 2023 - Unidentified man executed in Isfahan on October 10.
According to a report by Hamshahri Newspaper, on October 10, 2023, Isfahan Prison carried out the execution of an inmate who had been convicted of murder. Two years ago, this 25-year-old inmate was sentenced to death for fatally stabbing a friend during a violent altercation. Notably, he voluntarily surrendered to the police just one day after the incident occurred.
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-inmate-in-isfahan/
18 October 2023 :
October 09, 2023 - 3 men executed in Kerman on October 9.
According to Hal Vash, three men including a Baluch and an Afghan national were executed in Kerman Central Prison on 9 October. One the men’s identities has only been reported as Narouyi (Narui, Narooie), who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
The other two men’s identities and the charges against them have not been established at the time of writing.
At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6225/
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-executed-in-kerman-prison/
18 October 2023 :
October 09, 2023 - Unidentified man executed in Isfahan on October 9.
According to state media “Etemad Online”, a man was executed in Isfahan Central Prison (Vakil Abad) on 9 October. The unidentified 25-year-old man was accused of stabbing another man to death during a street fight.
In his published confessions, he said: “We were friends and there was no previous conflict between us; but that day, we went head to head on the streets. By coincidence, I had a knife with me and I stabbed him and ran away. I later found out that he had died and turned myself in from the guilty conscience.”
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6229/
18 October 2023 :
October 08, 2023 - Mehrab Sintab executed in Karaj on October 8.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Karaj Penitentiary on 8 October. His identity has been established as 38-year-old Mehrab Sintab, sentenced for murder.
Informed sources told IHR that Mehrab was arrested for the murder of his wife around two years ago.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6227/
18 October 2023 :
October 08, 2023 - Emambakhsh Gorgij executed in Torbat Heydarieh on October 8.
According to Hal Vash, at least one Baluch man was executed in Torbat Heydarieh Prison, in Khorasan Razavi province, on 8 October. His identity has been reported as Emambakhsh Gorgij, sentenced for drug-related charges.
According to the report, Gorgij’s execution was carried out secretly. Secret executions are those carried out without the defendant’s family or lawyer being notified.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6231/
18 October 2023 :
October 6, 2023 - Two unidentified men executed in Mashhad on October 6.
According to IHRS, on Friday, October 6, 2023, 2 prisoners, accused of murder, were executed in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. Etemad Online website, which published the news, doesn’t write the names of the prisoners.
https://en.iranhrs.org/two-prisoners-executed-in-vakilabad-prison-mashhad/
03 October 2023 :
October 1, 2023 - Hamidreza Khodabandeh and 4 unidentified men executed in Shiraz on October 1.
According to information obtained by IHR, five men were executed in Shiraz Central Prison (Adel Abad) on 1 October. One of the men has been identified as Hamidreza Khodabandeh Farsimdan Qashqai, who was sentenced to death for charges of efsad-fil arz (corruption on earth) and moharebeh (enmity against god). The identities and charges against the other four men have not been established at the time of writing.
A source told IHR: “Hamidreza Khodabandeh was arrested in Shiraz a year and a half years ago during an armed operation and took 3 weapons from him. He was a Qashaqi Turk and was executed on the anniversary of Khosrow Qashqai’s execution. They chose that day because Qashqai people have been involved in clashes with state forces in the last two weeks and one Qashqai was killed and several state forces injured. He had rape charges in his case which wasn’t true, there wasn’t a complainant. They’d promised to exile him to Zahedan but suddenly contacted his family two days ago to come for their last visit. At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6217/
18 October 2023 :
October 1, 2023 - Mohammad Taghi … executed in Mashhad on October 1.
According to state media “Etemad Online”, a man was executed in Mashhad Central Prison (Vakil Abad) on 1 October. His identity has only been reported as 35-year-old Mohammad Taghi (surname unknown). He was accused of murdering a man along with others on 7 June 2020.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6222/
https://en.iranhrs.org/two-prisoners-executed-in-vakilabad-prison-mashhad/
06 October 2023 :
October 1, 2023 - 5 men executed in Kerman on October 1
Avaz Moradi (Awad Moradi), Ramezan Khorshid (Ramazan Khorsheed) + 3 unk
On Sunday, October 1, five inmates, convicted of drug-related offenses, were executed in Kerman Prison, according to Haal Vsh.
Among those executed, two have been identified as Avaz Moradi and Ramezan Khorshid, both Baluch residing in Bam. They had been incarcerated for six years.
The identities of the three other executed prisoners in Kerman Central Prison have not been confirmed as of the time of this report. These three prisoners are also reported to have been charged with drug trafficking.
At the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have reported on these executions.
https://www.en-hrana.org/five-inmates-executed-in-kerman-prison/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/at-least-8-prisoners-in-kerman-karaj-and-ramhormoz-prisons-executed
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6219/
04 October 2023 :
October 1, 2023 - Samad Moradi executed in Ramhormoz on October 1.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man, identified as Samad Moradi, was executed in Ramhormoz Prison on 1 October. Moradi was 30, he was from Izeh, and was sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Samad Moradi was arrested for murder charges around five years ago. When he was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution on Friday (29 September), other prisoners protested and set their blankets on fire to prevent his transfer. Ultimately, prison guards took Samad out of the ward. Eight prisoners were injured by prison guards.” The IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency confirmed the unrest at the prison.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6214/
https://www.en-hrana.org/inmate-executed-in-ramhormoz-prison/
06 October 2023 :
October 1, 2023 - Etemad News reported the execution of an inmate for murder in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, on October 1. He was found guilty of the murder of a man six years ago in collusion with the victim’s wife, with whom he had engaged in an illicit affair.
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-six-inmates-in-shiraz-and-mashhad/
18 October 2023 :
October 01, 2023 - Unidentified man executed in Mashhad on October 1.
According to state media “Etemad Online”, a man was executed in Mashhad Central Prison (Vakil Abad) on 1 October. His identity has only been reported as 40-year-old with the initial ‘A’. He was accused of murdering a man six years ago. Etemad Online previously reported the execution of another man at the prison on that day.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6223/
04 October 2023 :
September 30, 2023 - Mohammad Bagher Bazgir and Sasan Farzipour executed in Khorramabad on September 30.
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Khorramabad Central Prison on 30 September. Their identities have been established as Mohammad Bagher Bazgir and 31-year-old Sasan Farzipour, both sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Mohammad Bagher Bazgir was accused of killing a cleric following an argument two years ago. Sasan Farzipour was also accused of murder in a mass fight at a wedding in Khorramabad five years ago. Sasan maintained that he hadn’t killed anyone and that the real murderer had escaped the wedding venue.”
At the time of writing, neither of their executions have been reported by domestic media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6213/
01 September 2023 :
(August 29, 2023) - Ehsan Dehqanipour executed in Borujard on August 29
According to a report received by Hengaw, the death sentence of 35-year-old Ehsan Dehqanipour, from Khorramabad, was carried out in the central prison of Borujard, Lorestan province, in the early morning of Tuesday, August 29, 2023.
Also, according to IHRS, Dehghanipour has been arrested since 2013 on charges related to drug crimes. Ten years ago, the father of this prisoner was also sentenced to death on similar charges, and his sentence was carried out at Khorramabad Central Prison. Until now, the execution of this prisoner has not been disclosed by the official media
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/prisoner-executed-in-borujerd-central-prison
https://en.iranhrs.org/borujerd-execution-of-a-prisoner/
03 October 2023 :
September 27, 2023 - Jafar Ghaed executed in Ahar on September 27
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Ahar Prison (East Azerbaijan province) on 27 September. His identity has been established as Jafar Ghaed, 35, sentenced for murder. A source told IHR that Jafar was a farmer prior to arrest.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6216/
28 September 2023 :
September 27, 2023 - Ali Najafi and Bahram … executed in Karaj on September 27.
On Wednesday, September 27, Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj carried out the execution of two inmates who had been convicted of murder, as reported by Javan Online.
One of the individuals, identified as Ali Najafi by HRANA, had been accused and convicted two years ago of the murder of a conscript known as Abdoljabbar Makhtoom-Nejad. His sentence ultimately led to his execution.
The second inmate, whose first name was disclosed as Bahram by Etemad Online, was found guilty of a heinous crime involving an acid attack that resulted in the death of a woman.
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-qezel-hesar-prison/
06 October 2023 :
September 27, 2023 - 2 men executed in Karaj on September 27
Saman Asgari and Mozafar (surname unknown)
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Karaj Penitentiary on 27 September. Their identities have been established as 29-year-old Saman Asgari and Mozafar (Mozaffar) (surname unknown), 56 years old, who were both sentenced for murder.
The two men were transferred to the gallows from Ward 7 of the prison. At the time of writing, neither of their executions have been reported by domestic media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6218/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/at-least-8-prisoners-in-kerman-karaj-and-ramhormoz-prisons-executed
28 September 2023 :
September 26, 2023 - Askar Nami executed in Tabriz on September 26.
According to a report received by Hengaw, on the morning of Tuesday, September 26, 2023, the death sentence of Askar Nami, a 27-year-old inmate, was carried out in Tabriz Central Prison.
Four years ago, Askar Nami was apprehended in connection with a homicide case stemming from a tribal conflict, according to a source. Until the publication of this report the news of Askar Nami’s execution had not been disclosed by government-affiliated media outlets.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/09/the-death-penalty-of-an-immate-in-tabriz-executed
26 September 2023 :
September 25, 2023 - Mostafa Khosh Shaneh and Saeed Brahui Makaki executed in Mashhad on September 24 and 25
Two prisoners, found guilty of drug-related offenses, were executed at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, as reported by Haal Vsh.
The individuals have been identified as Mostafa Khosh Shaneh, 30 years old, and Saeed Brahui Makaki, 27 years old. Both were married and fathers of one and two children, respectively.
Brahui Makaki’s execution took place on Sunday, September 24, while Khosh Shaneh was executed on Monday, September 25.
According to a source, both Khosh Shaneh and Brahui Makaki were sentenced to death by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court approximately four and two years ago.
At the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have reported on these executions.
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-mashhad-for-drug-related-crimes/
29 September 2023 :
September 23, 2023 - Khairallah Jamshidi executed in Minab on September 23.
According to IHRS, on the 23th of September 2023, a prisoner was executed in Minab prison. The prisoner’s identity was announced as Khairallah Jamshidi. The death sentence of this prisoner was carried out in Minab prison. Jamshidi was charged with armed robbery. He was arrested three years ago.
On the same day, another prisoner was also executed in the same prison.
https://en.iranhrs.org/execution-of-a-prisoner-in-minab-prison/
28 September 2023 :
September 23, 2023 - Mohammad Vali Jabari executed in Isfahan on September 23
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Isfahan Central Prison (Dastgerd) on 23 September. His identity has been established as 35-year-old Mohammad Vali Jabari, who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
Sources told IHR that Mohammad Vali was arrested around two years ago. He was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution on 21 September and executed two days later.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6209/
25 September 2023 :
September 23, 2023 - Unidentified prisoner executed in Minab on September 23. According to IHRS, on Saturday, 23, September 2023, the Mizan website affiliated with the judiciary announced the execution of a prisoner in Minab prison.
The news agency quoted the chief justice of Hormozgan province, Mojtaba Ghahramani, as saying that the prisoner had killed Saeed Moridi, the head of the anti-narcotics police in Rudan.
Ghahramani announced the prisoner’s charges as “armed drug trafficking leading to police murder” and “corruption on earth”, without mentioning his name. Saeed Moridi was killed in a clash in March 2023.
https://en.iranhrs.org/execution-on-charges-of-killing-the-police-chief-in-minab-prison/
25 September 2023 :
September 17, 2023 - 3 men executed in Shiraz on September 13 and 17.
Ramezan Yavari, Mozafar Sanjarani + Unk.
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Shiraz Central Prison (Adel Abad) on 17 September. Their identities have been established as Ramezan Yavari and Mozafar (Mazhar) Sanjarani, both Khorram Bid natives.
Ramezan and Mozafar were both Khorram Bid natives and were arrested three years ago and sentenced to death for drug-related charges in the same case.
Another man was also executed at the prison on 13 September. His identity has not been established at the time of writing. He was sentenced for murder.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6204/
https://en.iranhrs.org/adel-abad-shiraz-three-prisoners-executed/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-three-inmates-in-shiraz/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/09/execution-of-two-inmates-in-shiraz-central-prison-implemented
17 September 2023 :
September 13, 2023 - Ali Mansour Khakzad executed in Boroujerd on September 13.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Boroujerd Prison, in Lorestan province, on 13 September. His identity has been established as Ali Mansour Khakzad, who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
A source told IHR: “Ali Mansour Khakzad was arrested for carrying 90 kilograms of heroin and methamphetamine three years ago.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6199/
17 September 2023 :
September 10, 2023 - 3 men executed in Birjand on Septembe 10.
Mohsen and Saeed Sanjarani, and Abdolnaser Ghaljayi. The 3 men all belonged to the Baluch minority.
According to Hal Vash, 23-year-old Saeed Sanjarani and 38-year-old Mohsen Sanjarani were arrested in Birijand around three years ago and sentenced to death in the same drug-related case.
Both Saeed and Mohsen had two children and were from Zahedan.
48-year-old Abdolnaser Ghaljayi, was also from Zahedan, and was arrested for drug-related charges in Birjand around three years ago.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6196/
https://en.iranhrs.org/execution-of-another-prisoner-in-birjand-prison-this-prisoner-was-baloch/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6197/
17 September 2023 :
September 9, 2023 - 3 men executed in Zahedan on September 9. Mohammad Narouyi (Narouei) + 2 Unk.
According to Hal Vash, at least three men were executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 9 September. One of the men’s identities has been reported as a 27-year-old Baluch man named Mohammad Narouyi (Narouei). They were all sentenced for murder.
The other two men’s identities have not been reported beyond being Birjand natives. They were arrested in a joint murder case seven years ago.
A source said: Mohammad was arrested for murder charges around three years ago. He was transferred from the general ward of Zahedan Central Prison along with the other two men on Tuesday (5 September) to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions. They were executed this morning.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6194/
https://en.iranhrs.org/zahedan-qom-and-shiraz-prisons-four-male-and-one-female-prisoners-executed/
17 September 2023 :
September 8, 2023 - Saeed … executed in Tabriz in the last days.
According to state media ‘Rokna’, a man was executed in Tabriz Central Prison. The exact date of the execution has not been specified and his identity has only been reported as 34-year-old Saeed who was sentenced for murder committed during a group fight in a Tabriz village in April 2019.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6192/
17 September 2023 :
September 5, 2023 - Unidentified woman executed in Qom on September 5.
According to information obtained by IHR, a woman was executed in Qom Central Prison on 5 September. Her identity has not been established at the time of writing. She was from Varamin and had been sentenced for murder.
At the time of writing, her execution has not been reported by domestic media inside Iran.
The unidentified woman is the 13th woman execution recorded in 2023. Yesterday, IHR reported that of the 200 women executions recorded since 2010, 94 were executed for drug-related charges, 90 for murder, four for “participating in immoral sexual acts and misusing drugs,” two for espionage and one for moharebeh (enmity against god). The charges against nine of the women are unknown.
Only 55 (27.5%) of the 200 executions were announced by official sources. The remainder were reported by human rights organisations and activists, and verified by IHR. Transparency has dramatically decreased since 2020 with only 2 out of 45 executions officially reported between 2021 and September 2023.
39 of the women were accused of killing their husbands, temporary marriage husbands (sigheh) or lovers. 8 women were child brides, three juvenile offenders and one an aroose khoon bas, a bride offered by one tribe to the opposing tribe to stop the bloodshed.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6190/
https://en.iranhrs.org/zahedan-qom-and-shiraz-prisons-four-male-and-one-female-prisoners-executed/
17 September 2023 :
September 5, 2023 - Ali Abbas Najari executed in Shiraz on September 5
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Shiraz Central Prison (Adel Abad) on 5 September. His identity has been established as 37-year-old Ali Abbas Najari from Shiraz.
Ali Abbas was arrested three years ago and sentenced for murder.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6189/
17 September 2023 :
September 4, 2023 - Mahboubeh Roshandel (Mehbobeh Roshan Del), a woman, was executed in Mashhad on September 4. She is the 200th woman execution recorded since 2010 and the 12th woman executed in 2023.
According to HRANA, a woman was executed in Mashhad Central Prison (Vakil Abad) on 4 September. Her identity has been established as 27-year-old Mahboubeh Roshandel, who was sentenced for murder. She was a mother to a six year old and is alleged to have murdered her mother-in-law.
A source was quoted: “The family refused to allow her to see her daughter in prison. This caused her to gradually become depressed behind bars. But prison authorities didn’t provide any medical treatment. The victim’s family recently said they’d decided to forgo execution but the relief only lasted a few days for Ms Roshandel because they changed their minds. And she was consequently executed.”
https://www.iranhr.net/en/articles/6187/#:~:text=Since%202010%2C%20at%20least%20200,executed%20in%20Mashhad%20Central%20Prison.
https://en.iranhrs.org/mother-of-a-three-year-old-child-was-executed/
17 September 2023 :
September 3, 2023 - Houshang Moghtaderi (Moqtadari) executed in Ahvaz on September 3.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison on 3 September. His identity has been established as 42-year-old Houshang Moghataderi who was sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Moghtaderi was arrested for murder three years ago. He was a father of one and a hairdresser prior to arrest. He was transferred from Sheiban Prison to Sepidar Prison two weeks before his execution.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6184/
https://en.iranhrs.org/sepidar-ahvaz-execution-of-a-prisoner/
30 August 2023 :
(August 29, 2023) - Hamed Sargazi and Esmaeil Hajizadeh executed in Hamedan on August 29
Two inmates convicted of drug-related crimes were executed in Hamedan Prison.
The individuals, identified as Hamed Sargazi and Esmaeil Hajizadeh by HRANA, were put to death in Hamedan Prison on August 29 after being found guilty of drug offenses that led to their death sentences three years ago.
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-hamedan-prison/
29 August 2023 :
(August 27, 2023) - Sobhan Eftekharedin (Iftikharuddin) executed in Aligudarz on August 27.
According to information obtained by IHR, an Afghan man was executed in Aligudarz Prison, in Lorestan province, on 27 August. His identity has been established as 35-year-old Sobhan Eftekharedin, sentenced for murder.
Informed sources told IHR: “Sobhan Eftekharedin was arrested three and a half years ago. His cousin was also executed for drug-related charges at the prison last year.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6173/
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-convicted-of-murder-executed-across-different-prisons/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-execution-of-an-afghan-prisoner-at-aligudarz-prison
28 August 2023 :
(August 27, 2023) - Wafa Kharamani executed in Saqqez on August 27
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Sunday, August 27, 2023, the death sentence of Wafa Kharamani, a Kurdish man from Saqqez, was executed in the central prison of this city.
According to informed sources, this prisoner was arrested two years ago on the charge of murder. As of the time of this reporting, the news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced in the government media.
28 August 2023 :
(August 26, 2023) - Milad Yazdanpanah executed in Zarand on August 26
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Saturday, August 26, 2023, the death sentence of a prisoner named Milad Yazdanpanah, 30, a resident of Zarand, Kerman province, was executed in the central prison of this city. According to informed sources, this prisoner was arrested six years ago on charges of murder. As of the time of this reporting, the news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced in the government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-was-executed-in-zarand-central-prison
https://en.iranhrs.org/kerman-zarand-a-prisoner-was-exec-after-six-years-in-prison/
24 August 2023 :
(August 23, 2023) - 3 men executed in Qezel Hesar on August 23.
Kiumars Rezaei, Rahman Ebrahimi and Behrouz Rahmani.
According to information obtained by IHR, three men were executed in Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj on 23 August 2023. Their identities have been established as Kiumars Rezaei, Rahman Ebrahimi and Behrouz Rahmani, all sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
A source told IHR: “Kiumars Rezaei and Rahman Ebrahimi who were both from Kouhdasht, had been arrested in a joint case ten years ago and sentenced to death. Behrouz Rahmani was from Tehran and was arrested around two years ago.”
At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6165/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-three-prisoner-for-drug-related-charges-in-karaj/
25 August 2023 :
(August 23, 2023) - Unidentied man executed in Mahvelat on August 23.
According to ILNA, a man was executed in Mahvelat county prison in Khorasan Razavi province on 23 August. The unnamed 29-year-old man was sentenced for murder.
He had reportedly committed the alleged murder in February/March 2020 and sentenced by the Khorasan Razavi criminal court in less than three months. The victim’s family were present at the hanging.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6167/
27 August 2023 :
(August 23, 2023) - Mehdi Karami executed in Karaj on August 23.
According to a reliable source, on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, Mehdi Karami, a native of Kohdasht, was executed in Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj. And thus the number of executions in this prison increased to 4 people in one day.
All four prisoners, Mehdi Karami, Behrouz Rahmani Rad, Kiyomarth Rezaei and Rahman Ebrahimi, were charged with drugs.
https://en.iranhrs.org/karaj-increase-in-executions-in-ghezel-hesar-prison/
24 August 2023 :
(August 22, 2023) - Shouresh Morovati (Shorash Morovvati) executed in Sanandaj on August 22
According to the Judiciary’s Mizan news agency, a man was executed in Sanandaj Central Prison on 22 August. His identity has been reported as Gholamreza (Shouresh) Morovati, a Kurdish man who was sentenced to qisas for murder in the course of an armed robbery.
The Kurdistan province Chief Justice said: “With the Saqqez police’s actions, the defendant was arrested after nine months and sent to prison. The defendant was sentenced to qisas following his trial. This sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court.”
A source previously told IHR: “Shouresh Morovati was from Saqqez and arrested for an armed robbery that led to a murder in 2009 and sentenced for murder. Shouresh was one of the prisoners who escaped during the Saqqez Prison unrest (due to prison authorities not taking measures against Covid-19) in the spring of 2020. He was transferred to Sanadaj Central Prison after being rearrested.”
“Shouresh was subjected to months of torture in the Sanandaj intelligence detention centre, the signs of which are still visible on his body,” the source added.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6163/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-prisoner-for-murder-related-charges-in-sanandaj/
23 August 2023 :
(August 21, 2023) - 5 men executed in Zahedan on August 21.
Abdolsamad Khadem, Yaghoub Ejbari, Mohammad Anwar Barahouyi, Esmail Ghanbarzehi and one identified by surname only, Mir.
According to Hal Vash, at least 5 Baluch men were executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 21 August. Their identities have been reported as 29-year-old Abdolsamad Khadem from Zahak, Yaghoub Ejbari, a father of eight from the village of Gharghouk in Zahedan, Mohammad Anwar Barahouyi from Zahedan, Esmail Ghanbarzehi and one man only identified as Mir. They were all sentenced death for drug-related charges.
A source was quoted: “Abdolsamad was arrested in Zahak for drug-related charges around five years ago and sentenced to death by the Zabol Revolutionary Court. He was transferred from Zabol Prison to Zahedan Central Prison for execution around a month ago. Yaghoub was arrested for drug-related charges in Zahedan around four years ago and sentenced to death by the city’s revolutionary court. He was transferred to solitary confinement from the general ward the morning prior to execution.”
At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6159/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6164/
https://en.iranhrs.org/four-other-baloch-prisoners-were-executed/
25 August 2023 :
(August 23, 2023) - Yazdan Varehzardi executed in Ahvaz on august 21.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison on 21 August. His identity has been established as 30-year-old Yazdan Varehzardi from the Delfan tribe in Khorramabad.
A source told IHR: “Yazdan Varehzardi was arrested for murder charges in Ahvaz six years ago and transferred to Khorramabad Central Prison sometime later. He was recently transferred from Khorramabad prison to Sepidar Prison and his execution carried out on Monday.”
IHR previously reported the execution of Abdolreza Ghalavand for drug-related charges at the prison that day. Yazdan’s execution brings the number of executions at the prison that day to two.
At the time of writing, neither execution has been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6166/
24 August 2023 :
(August 21, 2023) - Rasoul Narouyi executed in Kahnuj on August 21
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in Kahnuj Prison on 21 August. His identity has been reported as 29-year-old Rasoul Narouyi who was sentenced for murder.
He was arrested around four years ago. He was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution along with another prisoner named Mehdi Bameri the day prior to execution. 28-year-old Mehdi Bameri who is also on death row for murder, was returned to his cell after being granted a two-month extension by the plaintiffs.
At the time of writing, Rasoul’s execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6161/
24 August 2023 :
(August 21, 2023) - 3 men executed in Kerman on August 21.
Saeed Rigi, Abdolghafour Toumaj and Amir Rahimi
According to information obtained by IHR, 3 men were executed in Kerman Central Prison on 21 August. Hal Vash identified 2 of them as 40-year-old Saeed Rigi, a Baluch man from Zahedan and Abdolghafour Toumaj, a Turkmen man from Gorgan.
Both men were arrested for drug-related charges in separate cases around three years ago. They were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions on 19 August.
IHR identified the third man as Amir Rahimi, who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, neither of their executions have been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6160/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6162/
24 August 2023 :
(August 21, 2023) - Jamil Abodllahzadeh and Mehran Amiri executed in Qazvin on August 21
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Qazvin Central Prison on 21 August. Their identities have been established as 41-year-old Jamil Abdollahzadeh and 45-year-old Mehran Amiri. Jamil was a father of one.
Informed sources told Iran Human Rights that the two men were arrested for being in possession of 100 kilograms of methamphetamine on the Qazvin-Zanjan motorway around three years ago.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6156/
23 August 2023 :
(August 21, 2023) - Abdolreza Ghalavand executed in Ahvaz on August 21
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz on 21 August. His identity has been established as 29-year-old Abdolreza Ghalavand, from Andimeshk, who was a father of two.
Sources told IHR: “Abdolreza was arrested for being in possession of 80 kilograms of heroin and methamphetamines when he was arrested ten years ago. He was transferred for execution to Sepidar Prison from Sheiban Prison. He had a last visit with his family the day prior.”
“After his execution was carried out, another prisoner was whipped 80 times in the yard behind Ward 5 of the prison. He was sentenced to the 80 lashes for drinking alcohol,” the source added.
At the time of writing, Abdolreza’s execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6157/
https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/ncri-statements/statement-human-rights/execution-of-10-prisoners-including-6-baluch-compatriots-on-monday/#:~:text=On%20Monday%2C%20August%2021%2C%20the,Qazvin%2C%20Kerman%2C%20and%20Kahnouj.
24 August 2023 :
(August 20, 2023) - Mousa Afkhami executed in Sari on August 20
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Sari Central Prison on 20 August. His identity has been established as 48-year-old Mousa Afkhami who was sentenced for murder.
Informed sources told IHR that Mousa was arrested four years ago and sentenced to death. He was from Lahijan and had two children.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6158/
23 August 2023 :
(August 19, 2023) - Unidentified man executed in Dezful on August 19.
According to the report received by Hengaw, the death sentence of a prisoner was executed in Dezful Central Prison. The government media, without mentioning the identity of this prisoner, described his charge as "carrying and possessing narcotics".
23 August 2023 :
(August 19, 2023) - Abdul Samad Shahozehi and Mahmoud Rigi executed in Zahedan on August 19.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Saturday, August 19, 2023, the death sentences of Baloch prisoners Abdul Samad Shahozehi and Mahmoud Rigi, both 28 years old and from Zahedan, were executed in the central prison of this city. These two prisoners were arrested and sentenced to death by the Zahedan Criminal Court for the charge of murder in a joint case in September 2012.
23 August 2023 :
(August 16, 2023) - Hossein Javadi executed in Maragheh on August 16.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, the death sentence of Hossein Javadi, 42, from Shabestar, was executed in Maragheh Central Prison. This prisoner was sentenced for murder. He was engaged in animal husbandry before his arrest. As of the time of this reporting, the news of this execution has not been announced in the government media.
17 August 2023 :
(August 16, 2023) - Ibrahim Moulodpour executed in Dezful on August 16
According to a report received by Hengaw, in the early hours of Wednesday, the 16th of August, 2023, the execution sentence of a prisoner named Ibrahim Moulodpour was implemented in Dezful Central Prison. Informed sources indicate that Ibrahim Moulodpour had been detained five years ago on charges related to drug trafficking and had been sentenced to death by the judicial system of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
As of the time of this report the execution has not been announced in government-affiliated media outlets.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/another-death-execution-implemented-in-dezful-iran
15 August 2023 :
(August 13, 2023) - 3 men executed on August 13.
Abdul Ghani Arbabi, Hamed Jamshidi + Unk.
According to the report received by Hengaw, on Sunday, 13 August 2023, the death sentence of Abdul Ghani Arbabi, a Baloch citizen from Saravan, was carried out in the central prison of Kerman.
According to Halavash, this prisoner was 48 years old, the father of one child, and was arrested two years ago for drug-related charges. He was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court in Kahnuj.
At the same time, Hamed Jamshidi and another prisoner were executed in the central prison of Bam City, Kerman province. These two prisoners were previously arrested and sentenced to death for drug-charges charges.
So far, the news of the execution of these three prisoners has not been announced in the Iranian state media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentences-of-three-prisoners-carried-out-in-kerman
18 August 2023 :
(August 13, 2023) - Saeid Biranvand (Beiranvand) executed in Khorramabad on August 13
Saeid Biranvand (Beiranvand) was executed for murder-related charges on 13 August in Parsiloun Prison in Khorramabad. Biranvand, who comes from the village of Bid Gijeh in Khorramabad, was arrested about five years ago on charges of murder.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/prisoner-executed-for-murder-related-charges-in-khorramabad/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/report-on-the-execution-of-one-prisoner-in-khorramabad-prison
21 August 2023 :
(August 13, 2023) - Unidentified man executed in Khorramabad on August 13. According to IHRS, a prisoner, whose name is not known, was executed in Khorramabad prison on drug charges. The same day in the same prison also Saeed Biranvand was executed, for drugs.
https://en.iranhrs.org/khorramabad-and-dezful-execution-of-three-prisoners-prisons/
15 August 2023 :
(August 13, 2023) - Mohammad Gorgij executed in Birjand on August 13
According to the report received by Hengaw, in the early hours of Sunday, August 13, 2023, the death sentence of Mohammad Gorgij, from Zahedan, was carried out at Birjand Central Prison.
According to Haalvsh, two years ago, Mohammad Gorgij was apprehended on drug-related charges and subsequently sentenced to death by the Birjand Revolutionary Court of South Khorasan Province.
So far, there has been no official announcement of the execution of this Baloch prisoner in government media.
13 August 2023 :
(August 12, 2023) - Cheraghali Bamri executed in Zahedan on August 12.
According to the report received by Hengaw, on the morning of Saturday, August 12, 2023, the death sentence of Cheraghali Bamri, a 30-year-old Baloch prisoner and resident of Dalgan city, was carried out at Zahedan Central Prison.
According to reliable sources, this prisoner had been in custody since 2020, facing charges of murder, and subsequently received a death sentence. So far, the execution of Cheraghali Bamri has not been officially announced in government-affiliated media.
13 August 2023 :
(August 12, 2023) - A woman, Roghieh (Roqieh, Ruqiyeh) Abedini, executed in Hamedan on August 12.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a woman, identified as Roghieh Abedini, who was around 40, and sentenced for murder, was executed in Hamedan Central Prison on 10 August. A source told Iran Human Rights: “Roghieh Abedini was from Tabriz and had been sentenced to death for the murder of her husband in Hamedan. She was arrested three year ago.”
At the time of writing, her execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
Based on the information and data compiled by the NCRI Women’s Committee, the execution of Roqieh Abedini brings the number of women executed in Iran since 2007 to 217.
The Iranian regime is the world’s top record holder of the executions of women. The Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran has compiled these women’s names in a list called “List of Women Executed in Iran since 2007”.
The list does not account for the tens of thousands of women executed in Iran on political grounds.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6145/
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/08/12/roqieh-abedini-hanged-hamedan/
The death sentence of a woman carried out in Hamadan Central Prison (hengaw.net)
11 August 2023 :
(August 10, 2023) - Ahmad Karimdadzehi and Hamid Garkhil executed Mashhad on August 10.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Thursday, 10 August 2023, two Baloch prisoners named Ahmad Karimdadzehi, 35 years old, from Mashhad, and Hamid Garkhil, 34 years old, from Zabol, were executed in Mashhad central prison. According to Baloch Activists Campaign, these Baloch prisoners, both married and father of two children, were arrested for drug-related charges. So far, the news of the execution of these two prisoners has not been announced in the Iranian state media.
13 August 2023 :
(August 10, 2023) - Hamid Barahouyi and Ahmad Narouyi executed in Mashhad on August 10. According to Hal Vash, two Baluch men were secretly executed in Mashhad Central Prison (Vakil Abad) on 10 August. Their identities have been reported as 45-year-old Hamid Barahouyi (Barichi) and 44-year-old Ahmad Narouyi, sentenced to death for drug-related charges in the same case.
Hamid (pictured left) was a father of five from Margan village in Hirmand, and Ahmad (pictured right) was a father of two from Zahak.
A source told Hal Vash: “Hamid and Ahmad were arrested in Mashhad around two years ago for drug-related charges and sentenced to death by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court. They were transferred for execution on 9 August and executed on 10 August without their families being notified and last visits.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6143/
11 August 2023 :
(August 10, 2023) - Afshin Rahimihedayat executed in Hamedan on August 10.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Thursday, 10 August 2023, the death sentence of 30-year-old Afshin Rahimihedayat, a Kurdish from Kangavar City, was carried out in Hamadan Central Prison.
According to Hengaw’s sources, Rahimihedayat was arrested four years ago for drug-related charges.
So far, the news of Afshin Rahimihedayati's execution has not been announced in the Iranian state media.
13 August 2023 :
(August 9, 2023) - Asadollah Arjomand (Arjmand) executed in Yasuj on August 9.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, Asadollah Arjomand, a resident of Dehdasht city, was executed in Yasuj Central Prison.
According to informed sources, this prisoner was arrested 14 years ago on charges of murder.
As of the time of this reporting, the news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced in the government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-was-executed-in-yasuj-central-prison
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6144/
10 August 2023 :
(August 9, 2023) - Manouchehr Khazaei and Ahad Hashemi executed in Hamedan on August 9
According to a report received by Hengaw, the death sentence of Manouchehr Khazaei, a prisoner from Dehlor village of Kangavar County, was carried out in the central prison of Hamedan on Wednesday morning, August 9, 2023.
According to a creditable source, Manouchehr Khazaei was a member of the police force before his arrest. He was arrested on charges of drug-related crimes and sentenced to death.
Hengaw had previously released information about the execution, the same day, in the same prison, of a Kurdish prisoner in the central prison of Hamedan named Ahad Hashemi, a citizen from Harsin City in Kermanshah province.
Ahad Hashemi was also arrested seven years ago on charges of drug-related crimes, and later he was sentenced to death by Judge Nazari at the 1st branch of the Hamadan Revolutionary Court.
Until further notice, the news of the execution of Ahad Hashemi and Manouchehr Khazaei has not been announced in the official media or any media affiliated with the judiciary.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/two-kurdish-prisoners-were-executed-in-hamadan-central-prison
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/execution-of-a-prisoner-from-harsin-in-hamedan-prison
10 August 2023 :
(August 9, 2023) - 5 men executed in Marand on August 9.
Identities have not been disclosed.
On August 9, 2023, five inmates, convicted of rape, were executed in Marand, East Azerbaijan province, as reported by Fars News agency.
Precise information about the execution site of these five prisoners is currently unavailable, and it is unknown whether they were executed in Marand Prison or in the central prison of Tabriz.
The Revolutionary and Public Prosecutor of Marand County, Ziamehr (Zia Mehr), conveyed that following a thorough legal process, these five individuals who had committed an act of abduction and assault were executed today. The incident had originally been reported on May 21, 2022, when a “woman, accompanied by social emergency personnel, approached the prosecutor’s office in Marand County. She recounted her harrowing experience of being abducted by five unidentified individuals, subsequently taken to the surrounding mountains and subjected to an assault by all five of them.” The individuals were arrested four days later and were subsequently sentenced to death.
As per the report, the identities of the executed inmates have not been disclosed.
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-five-inmates-in-marand/
https://en.iranhrs.org/marand-five-prisoners-were-executed/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/capital-penalty-of-five-prisoners-convicted-of-rape-executed-in-marand-iran
11 August 2023 :
(August 8, 2023) - Hossein Nasirian and Hassan Ali Shakib executed in Shiraz on August 8.
On Tuesday, August 8, 2023, 2 inmates, identified as Hossein Nasirian, 40, and Hassan Ali Shakib were executed in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz, as reported by IHR.
Nasirian’s conviction dates back 3 years, while Shakib’s dates back 2 years.
So far, the execution of Hossein Nassirian and Hassan Ali Shakib has not been announced by the government media.
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-four-inmates-for-drug-related-charges-takes-place-in-hamedan-and-shiraz/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-execution-of-two-prisoners-has-been-carried-out-at-shiraz-central-prison
10 August 2023 :
(August 7, 2023) - Abdul Ghafar Shahiki (Abdolghafar Shehiki (Hasehmzahi)) + Unk executed in Kerman on August 7.
According to a report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Monday, August 7, 2023, the death sentences of Abdul Ghafar Shahiki, 38 years old, a Baloch prisoner from Khash, and another prisoner from Afghanistan, were carried out in the central prison of Kerman. They were both sentenced for drug-related charges. According to Halvash News, Abdul Ghafar Sheikhi, who was the father of two children, was arrested two years ago in Kerman. The prisoner from Afghanistan, whose identity is under investigation, was sentenced to death on similar charges.
At the time of writing, neither of their executions have been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentences-of-3-prisoners-carried-out-in-kerman-and-qazvin-prisons
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-three-inmates-in-kerman-and-qazvin/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6132/
10 August 2023 :
(August 6, 2023) - Amir Jahangiri, Javad Bazgari, Sajjad Nazari and Mohsen Sharafi (Sharfi) executed in Karaj on August 6.
According to IHRS, 4 prisoners were executed on Sunday, August 6, 2023, in Karaj Central Prison. The names of these prisoners were Amir Jahangiri, Javad Bazgari, Sajjad Nazari and Mohsen Sharafi (Sharfi).
These three prisoners were drug suspects and on the first day of August, the prison guards raided the 2nd hall of this prison and transferred these death row prisoners to solitary confinement.
10 August 2023 :
(August 6, 2023) - Unidentified man executed in Dezful on August 6.
According to ISNA, a man was executed in Dezful Prison on 6 August. The unnamed was sentenced to death for charges of moharebeh and efsad-fil-arz through armed robbery with a cold weapon.
Khuzestan province’s head of judiciary was quoted as saying: “This individual was arrested on charges of committing multiple thefts from women at different locations including hairdressers, gyms and Quran schools with cold weapon including knives and machetes. After the initial investigations, given the number of claimants and the terror and public insecurity caused, he was sentenced to death.”
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6128/
https://en.iranhrs.org/at-least-eight-prisoners-sentenced-to-death-in-iranian-prisons-executed-in-two-days/
30 October 2023 :
October 27, 2023 - Sajjad Hashemi executed in Karaj on August 6.
After three months, the identity of an executed prisoner in Ghezel-Hesar prison in Karaj was verified.
According to IHRS, the prisoner was named Sajjad Hashemi, and this was confirmed on October 27, 2023.
According to a reliable source, Sajjad Hashemi was executed on August 6th, 2023, on charges related to drugs. Hashemi was 38 years old and from Karaj.
According to this source, “Sajad was innocent. During the raid on his house, drugs were found that did not belong to him and were the property of his guests. However, he was also accused of involving with these drugs and sentenced to death.”
https://en.iranhrs.org/after-3-months-identity-of-an-executed-prisoner-verified/
10 August 2023 :
(August 6, 2023) - Ali Eslami executed in Nishapur on August 6.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Sunday, August 6, 2023, the death sentence of Ali Eslami, 32, was executed in Nishapur Central Prison.
Ali Eslami, who used to work as a cabinet maker, was arrested in November 2020 on charges of drug-related crimes.
As of the time of this reporting, the news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced in the government media.
10 August 2023 :
(August 6, 2023) - Arsalan Kazemi + Unk executed in Arak on August 6.
According to HRANA, two men were executed in Arak Central Prison on 6 August. One of the men’s identities has been reported as 32-year-old Arsalan Kazemi. The second man’s identity has not been reported.
At the time of writing, neither of their executions have been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6136/
10 August 2023 :
(August 6, 2023) - Jabar Moslemi executed in Qazvin on August 6.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Qazvin Central Prison (Choobindar) on 6 August 2023. His identity has been established as 35-year-old Jabar Moslemi who was sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Jabar Moslemi was arrested around three years ago.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6129/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-three-inmates-in-kerman-and-qazvin/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentences-of-3-prisoners-carried-out-in-kerman-and-qazvin-prisons
10 August 2023 :
(August 2, 2023) - 3 men executed in Khorramabad on August 2.
Mohammad Javad Akbari, Sharif Akbari and Kianoush Teymouri (Timuri, Teymoori, Teimouri).
According to information obtained by IHR, three men were executed in Khorrramabad (Parsilion) Central Prison on 2 August. Their identities have been established as Mohammad Javad Akbari and Kianoush Teimouri from Kouhdasht in Lorestand and Sharif Akbari from Nourabad.
All three men were sentenced to death for drug-related charges. The three prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement for execution on 29 July.
At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6121/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-three-prisoners-for-drug-related-charges/
https://en.iranhrs.org/arak-khorram-abad-birjand-five-prisoners-were-executed/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentences-of-at-least-19-prisoners-carried-out-in-four-days
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/khorramabad-the-execution-of-at-least-three-prisoners-including-a-child-has-been-carried-out
https://www.en-hrana.org/tag/kianoosh-teymoori/
09 August 2023 :
(August 1, 2023) - Ruhollah Azizi executed in Arak on August 1.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Arak Central Prison on 1 August. His identity has been established as 40-year-old Ruhollah Azizi, from Miladjerd. He was arrested 3 years ago for drug-related charges. At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6120/
https://en.iranhrs.org/arak-khorram-abad-birjand-five-prisoners-were-executed/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-execution-of-a-prisoner-has-been-carried-out-at-arak-prison
09 August 2023 :
(August 1, 2023) - Farhad Badrouzeh (Badrouze (Naruei)) executed in Birjand on August 1.
According to Hal Vash, Farhad Badrouzeh (Naroui), a Baluch, from Zahk, was executed for drug-related charges.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
Ethnic minorities, the Baluch in particular, are grossly overrepresented in execution numbers in Iran. In 2022, at least 174 Baluch minorities including 3 women, were executed in 22 prisons across Iran, making up 30% of overall executions. This is while they represent just 2-6% of Iran’s population. Furthermore, in the first 6 months of 2023, 20% of the at least 354 executions were Baluch people.
Baluch minorities also represented almost half of drug-related executions in 2022. 47.3% of the 256 people executed for drug-related charges were Baluch.
Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year for the past 3 years. At least 206 people were executed for drug-related charges in the first 6 months of 2023, a 126% rise compared to the same period in 2022 when 91 were executed. 40 people were executed in the same period in 2021.
The number of drug executions dramatically dropped in 2018 following a 2017 Amendment to the Anti-Narcotics Laws. Consequently, drug executions ranged between 24-30 per annum between 2018-2020. The Amendment was reversed in practice in 2021 when executions increased ten-fold to 126 in 2021 and doubled again in 2022 with 256 drug-related executions.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6108/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/death-sentences-of-two-baloch-inmates-covertly-implemented-in-iran
09 August 2023 :
(August 1, 2023) - Mehdi Baboli Bahmai (Mehdi Babli Bombai, Bahmaei) executed in Ahvaz on August 1.
According to the report received by Hengaw, on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at dawn, the death sentence of Mehdi Baboli Bahmai, 39, from Behbahan city, was carried out at Sheyban (Shiban) Prison in Ahvaz. This prisoner was sentenced to death for murder. Journalist Farzad Seifikaran who first reported news of Mehdi’s execution told IHR: “Not only was his execution carried out during the month of Moharram (when executions are not supposed to be carried out), but according to the documents and witnesses, he had unintentionally caused the death in a car accident.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-from-behbahan-was-carried-out-at-ahvaz-prison
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6119/
https://en.iranhrs.org/14-executions-in-three-days-increasing-executions-in-iran/
10 August 2023 :
(August 1, 2023) - Massoud Eshaghzehi (Masoud Ishaq Zahi, Ishaqzahi) executed in Zabol on August 1.
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch and Afghan national was executed in Zabol Prison on 1 August. His identity has been reported as 30-year-old Massoud Eshaghzehi, a father of two.
Massoud was arrested for drug-related charges around two years ago. He was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution the night prior.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6111/
https://en.iranhrs.org/14-executions-in-three-days-increasing-executions-in-iran/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentences-of-at-least-19-prisoners-carried-out-in-four-days
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentences-of-an-afghan-citizen-carried-out-in-zabol-prison
https://iranwire.com/en/news/119078-11-baluch-one-afghan-executed-in-iran-in-just-two-days/
10 August 2023 :
(August 1, 2023) - 3 men executed in Zahedan on August 1.
Hossein Gomashadzehi (Gumshadzehi), Yousef Kalbali (Yusuf Golbali) + Unk.
According to Hal Vash, three Baluch men were secretly executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 1 August. Two of the men’s identities have been reported as 72-year-old Hossein Gomshadzehi and 30-year-old Yousef Kalbali. The third man’s identity has not been established at the time of writing.
Hossein Gomshadzehi was a farmer and had been married twice with 23 children. He had denied the charges in court, stating that he had been framed for the drugs found in an abandoned building on his farm.
A source said: “Hossein was arrested for drug-related charges in Zabol around five years ago and sentenced to death by the Zabol Revolutionary Court. He was transferred from Zabol Prison to Zahedan Central Prison 28 days ago and transferred to solitary confinement from Ward 7 of the prison. He was executed this morning without his family being notified and the last visit with them.”
Yousef Kalbali was from the village of Deh Deraz, in Zahak county. He was a father of three who was arrested around two years ago.
At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6109/
https://en.iranhrs.org/14-executions-in-three-days-increasing-executions-in-iran/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentences-of-at-least-19-prisoners-carried-out-in-four-days
https://iranwire.com/en/news/119078-11-baluch-one-afghan-executed-in-iran-in-just-two-days/
09 August 2023 :
(July 31, 2023) - Rahim Ghaljaei (Ghaljayi) executed in Birjand on July 31.
According to IHR, on Monday, July 31, a Baloch prisoner named Rahim Ghaljaei, 46 years old and resident of Mashhad, father of one child, was executed in Birjand Central Prison. Rahim was arrested for drug-related charges in Birjand around two years ago. His execution was carried out without his family being notified and the right to a last visit.
https://en.iranhrs.org/arak-khorram-abad-birjand-five-prisoners-were-executed/
https://en.iranhrs.org/14-executions-in-three-days-increasing-executions-in-iran/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6122/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentences-of-at-least-19-prisoners-carried-out-in-four-days
09 August 2023 :
(July 31, 2023) - 3 men executed in Zahedan on July 31.
Saeed (Aref) Barahouyi (Brahui), Ali (Khan Mohammad Barahoui) Barahouyi (Brahui) and Khodarahm Mohammadani.
According to Hal Vash, 3 Baluch men were secretly executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 31 July. Their identities have been reported as 38-year-old Saeed Barahouyi (Aref), 39-year-old Ali Barahouyi (Khan Mohammad) and 55-year-old Khodarahm Mohammadani (Latif).
They were all sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6107/
https://en.iranhrs.org/14-executions-in-three-days-increasing-executions-in-iran/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentences-of-at-least-19-prisoners-carried-out-in-four-days
https://en.iranhrs.org/five-baloch-prisoners-accused-of-narcotics-executed-in-two-days/
09 August 2023 :
(July 31, 2023) - Asadollah (Asadullah) Amini (also Asadullah Bahrami) executed in Zabol on July 31.
According to Hal Vash, 32-year-old Asadollah Amini, Baluch and from Nimrouz in Afghanistan, was executed in Zabol Prison on 31 July.
He had been arrested around two years ago for drug-related charges. The execution was carried out without his family being notified and the right to have a last visit to say goodbye.
At the time of writing, his execution has been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6106/
https://en.iranhrs.org/14-executions-in-three-days-increasing-executions-in-iran/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentences-of-at-least-19-prisoners-carried-out-in-four-days
https://en.iranhrs.org/five-baloch-prisoners-accused-of-narcotics-executed-in-two-days/
09 August 2023 :
(July 30, 2023) - Hamid Asgarinia (Askarinia, Asgari Nia) executed in Qom on July 30.
According to HRANA, on July 30, an inmate identified as Hamid Asgarinia, from Arak, convicted on charges of rape and robbery, was executed in Qom Prison.
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-qom-babol-zahedan-and-imminent-execution-awaited-in-zabol/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentences-of-at-least-19-prisoners-carried-out-in-four-days
https://en.iranhrs.org/qom-zabul-and-zahedan-three-prisoners-were-executed/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6110/
09 August 2023 :
(30/07/2023) - Shahsavar Shahriari (Shaheswar Shahriari (Pelangi)) executed in Zahedan on July 30.
According to Hal Vash, 1 Baluch man was secretly executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 30 July. His identity has been reported as 53-year-old Shahsavar Shahriari (Palangi), sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
Another Baluch man, Bidollah Gorgij was also previously reported as being secretly executed at the same prison on 30 July.
At the time of writing, these executions have notbeen reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6107/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentences-of-at-least-19-prisoners-carried-out-in-four-days
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-qom-babol-zahedan-and-imminent-execution-awaited-in-zabol/
https://en.iranhrs.org/14-executions-in-three-days-increasing-executions-in-iran/
09 August 2023 :
(July 30, 2023) - Mohammad Arbab executed in Zabol on July 30.
According to Hal Vash, 30-year-old Mohammad Arbab, Baluch and from Nimrouz in Afghanistan, was executed in Zabol Prison on 30 July. He had been arrested around two years ago for drug-related charges. The execution was carried out without his family being notified and the right to have a last visit to say goodbye.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6106/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentences-of-at-least-19-prisoners-carried-out-in-four-days
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-qom-babol-zahedan-and-imminent-execution-awaited-in-zabol/
https://en.iranhrs.org/qom-zabul-and-zahedan-three-prisoners-were-executed/
https://en.iranhrs.org/14-executions-in-three-days-increasing-executions-in-iran/
09 August 2023 :
(July 30, 2023) - Bidollah Gorgij (Baidullah Gergich, Baydollah Gorgij, Bidullah Gergij, Baidullah Gorgij) executed in Zahedan on July 30.
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was secretly executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 30 July. His identity has been reported as 43-year-old Bidollah Gorgij, sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
A source told Hal Vash: “Bidollah Bigi was arrested around two years ago. He was executed without his family being notified and having a last visit. Prison authorities called the family the next morning and told them to come to the prison to pick up the body from the Forensic Medical Organisation.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6105/
https://en.iranhrs.org/14-executions-in-three-days-increasing-executions-in-iran/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/the-death-sentences-of-at-least-19-prisoners-carried-out-in-four-days
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-qom-babol-zahedan-and-imminent-execution-awaited-in-zabol/
https://en.iranhrs.org/qom-zabul-and-zahedan-three-prisoners-were-executed/
09 August 2023 :
(July 27, 2023) - Unk executed in Bandar Abbas on uncertain date.
State media (Rokna) have reported the execution of an unnamed man in Bandarabbas Central Prison. Two others were returned to their cells after obtaining extensions in their case.
The report does not specify the date or identity of the man who was sentenced for murder.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6080/
27 July 2023 :
(July 26, 2023) - Masoud Shahbakhsh executed in Zahedan on July 26.
According to the report received by Hengaw, on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at dawn, the death sentence of Masoud Shahbakhsh, a Baloch prisoner and resident of Cheshmeh Ziarat district in Zahedan, was carried out at the central prison of the city. According to Haalvsh News Group, Masoud Shahbakhsh was arrested three years ago after confessing to the police. He was later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of this city on charges of murder. So far, the execution of this prisoner has not been announced in the government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-execution-of-a-prisoner-was-carried-out-in-zahedan-prison
09 August 2023 :
(July 22, 2023) - Unnamed man executed in Qom on uncertain date. Likely on July 22.
State media have reported on June 30 the execution of an unnamed man for rape charges in Qom Central Prison.
According to Fars news agency, a man was executed in Qom Central Prison in the month of Tir (22 June-22 July). The report does not specify his identity or the exact date of the execution.
The unnamed man alleged to have “kidnapped, raped and robbed female travellers.”
A source told IHR: “This man’s execution was carried out on 22 July. A murder death row prisoner was also transferred to the gallows with him but was returned to his cell after obtaining an extension in his case.”
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6093/
20 July 2023 :
(July 19, 2023) - Unidentified man executed in Dezful
Exact date of execution not specified
According to ISNA, a man was executed in Dezful Prison in Khuzestan province. His identity and the exact date of the execution has not been specified.
Mehdi Amadeh, the Dezful Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor said: “In July 2017, this individual entered a citizen’s house with the intention of robbery and committed rape.”
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6067/
20 July 2023 :
(July 18, 2023) - Seyyed Mansour Seyyedi (Seyed Mansour Seyedi), Moslem Havasi (Havasizadeh) and Siamak Hayatbini executed in Karaj on July 18
Iran today executed prisoners Seyyed Mansour Seyyedi, Moslem Havasi and Siamak Hayatbini on drug-related charges at Ghezel (Qezel) Hesar Prison in Karaj.
On 17 July, the three prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement along with another prisoner for execution.
While the three were executed, the fourth prisoner was returned to his ward.
Seyedi, a resident of Tehran, was arrested about 12 years ago, while Havasi and Hayatbini, both residents of Kuhdasht in Lorestan province, were arrested in 2013 and about five years ago, respectively.
Iran executes three prisoners for drug-related charges in Karaj (kurdistanhumanrights.org)
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6064/
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-executed-in-ghezel-hesar-for-drug-related-crimes/
20 July 2023 :
(18/07/2023) - Ilkhani, 50, Kurdish, from Nowdeshah in Paveh, Kermanshah province, was arrested 12 years ago for an honour killing. On July 18 he was executed in Dizel Abad Prison in Kermanshah.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media.
Iran executes two prisoners in Hamadan, Kermanshah (kurdistanhumanrights.org)
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6065/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/two-inmates-were-executed-in-kermanshah-and-urmia-prisons
20 July 2023 :
(18/07/2023) - Amad Moghadam and Saeed Almasi executed on 18 July in Hamadan
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Hamedan Central Prison in on 18 July. Their identities have been established as 35-year-old Ahmad Moghadam and 40-year-old Saeed Almasi, Kurdish. They were sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
A source told IHR: “Ahmad Moghadam was from Tabriz and had one child. He was arrested four years ago and sentenced to death. Saeed Almasi was from Harsin in Kermanshah and also had one child. He’d been arrested and sentenced to death seven years ago.”
At the time of writing, neither of their executions have been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6066/
Iran executes two prisoners in Hamadan, Kermanshah (kurdistanhumanrights.org)
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-executed-for-drug-related-crimes-in-hamedan/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-death-sentence-of-a-kurdish-prisoner-carried-out-at-hamedan-prison
20 July 2023 :
(18/07/2023) - Ghasem Seyed Hosseini executed in Urmia on July 18.
Ghasem Seyed Hosseini, 50, Kurdish, from Mahabad, sentenced for murder, was executed in Urmia.
Hosseini was arrested 18 years ago on the charge of murder. In this regard, a source close to Seyed Hosseini's family told Hengaw that he was held for 18 years in Mahabad prison and was transferred to Urmia Central Prison last week in order to be executed.
As of the time of this reporting, the news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced in the government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/two-inmates-were-executed-in-kermanshah-and-urmia-prisons
27 July 2023 :
(18 July, 2023) - Unidentified man executed in Ahar Prison on July 18.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Ahar Prison in East Azerbaijan province on 18 July. His identity has not been established at the time of writing. He was sentenced for murder. At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6072/
20 July 2023 :
(July 17, 2023) - Faramarz Nezami and Asghar Rahimian executed in Zanjan on July 17.
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Zanjan Central Prison on 17 July. Their identities have been established as 40-year-old Faramarz Nezami and Asghar Rahimian, both sentenced for drug-related charges. A source told IHR: “Faramarz Nezami was from Azarshahr and had been arrested three years ago. He was a farmer prior to arrest. Asghar Rahimian was from Jolfa and arrested around four years ago.” At the time of writing, neither of their executions have been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6068/
21 July 2023 :
(July 17, 2023) - Aydin Emami executed in Zanjan on July 17
The death sentence of Aydin Emami, a Turkish prisoner of Azerbaijan imprisoned in Zanjan prison who was previously sentenced to death on charges of intentional murder, has been executed.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Monday, July 17, 2023, the death sentence of a prisoner named Aydin Emami was executed in Safarabad prison in Zanjan (Zanjan Province) for murder.
Until the time of writing this news, the news of Aydin Emami's execution had not been announced in the government media.
Other sources in recent days have reported the execution of a man with a similar name, Mojtaba Emami, on the same date and for the same crime, but in a different prison, that of Tir Kola, in Sari, Mazandaran province. HoC will try to verify in the next few days if it is the same execution, or two different executions.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/zanjan-prison-a-prisoner-was-executed
18 July 2023 :
(July 17, 2023) - Mohsen Yaqouti and Hamzeh Farrokhi executed in Hamedan on July 17
According to information received by Hengaw, on the morning of Monday, July 17, 2023, the death sentences of Mohsen Yaqouti and Hamzeh Farrokhi, two Kurdish prisoners from Kangavar City, were carried out at Hamedan Central Prison.
According to a reliable source close to their families, these two prisoners were arrested in Hamedan two years ago for drug-related charges and sentenced to death by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court in Hamedan.
So far, the news of these executions has not been published by the Iranian state media.
18 July 2023 :
(July 17, 2023) - Sangar Khezri executed in Naghdeh on July 17
State media have reported the execution of Sangar Khezri for drug-related charges in Naghdeh Prison.
According to the Judiciary’s Mizan news agency, a man was executed in Naghdeh Prison, in West Azerbaijan province, on 17 July. His identity has been reported as Sangar Khezri, a Kurdish man from the city of Nalas in Sardasht who was arrested for drug-related charges 2 years ago.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6060/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-death-sentence-of-an-inmate-in-naghadeh-prison-was-carried-out
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-death-sentence-of-two-kurdish-prisoners-carried-out-at-hamedan-prison
18 July 2023 :
(July 17, 2023) - Mojtaba Emami executed in in Sari on July 17.
According to the report received by Hengaw, the death sentence of a prisoner called Mojtaba Emami, 27, from Neka City, was executed in Tirkala (Tir Kola) prison in Sari on Monday, July 17, 2023.
According to a source, Mojtaba Emami was arrested four years ago on charges of murder and later sentenced to death by the Sari Criminal Court.
The news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced in government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/sari-prison-execution-of-a-prisoners-death-sentence
20 July 2023 :
(July 17, 2023) - 3 men executed in Hamadan on July 17
Abbas Rahmani, Mohsen Yaghooti (Yaqouti), and Hamzeh Farrokhi.
On July 17, 2023, three inmates convicted of drug-related crimes were executed in Hamedan Prison.
HRAHA has identified the inmates as Abbas Rahmani, Mohsen Yaghooti (Yaqouti), Kurdish, and Hamzeh Farrokhi, Kurdish.
As of the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have reported on these executions.
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-executed-for-drug-related-crimes-in-hamedan/
18 July 2023 :
(July 16, 2023) - Gholam Sediq Hormozi executed in Bandar Abbas on July 16.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Sunday, July 16, 2023, the death sentence of a Baloch prisoner named Gholam Sediq Hormozi, 43, a resident of Nimruz city, Sistan and Baluchestan province, was executed in Bandar Abbas Central Prison. Hormozi, who was married and had six children, was arrested in Minab in 2020 on charges of drug-related crimes. As of the time of this reporting, the news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced in the government media.
18 July 2023 :
(July 15, 2023) - Jahedullah Maaruf (Jahedollah Marouf) executed in Isfahan on July 15
According to a report obtained by Hengaw, the execution of Jahedullah Maaruf, an Afghan inmate, was carried out at Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan in the early hours of Saturday, July 15th, 2023.
Reliable sources have revealed that the aforementioned inmate was sentenced to death for repeated drug trafficking crimes and murder. It is not clear whether he was executed for the murder or drug charges. A source told IHR: “Marouf was transferred for execution from the foreign ward. Around 250-300 prisoners are held in the foreign ward, the majority of whom are Afghan and Pakistani. The majority of them are on death row and most of them are for drug charges.”
As of the time of this reporting, the execution of Maaruf has not been publicly announced by government media outlets.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-tenth-afghan-national-executed-in-iran-prisons-within-7-month-period
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6059/
18 July 2023 :
(July 13, 2023) - Hossein Dolkhani and Amir Islamdoost executed in Urmia on July 13.
According to the report received by Hengaw, on Thursday, July 13, 2023, the death sentence of a Kurdish prisoner named Hossein Dolkhani, from Showt City, was carried out in Urmia Central Prison (Darya). According to a source, Dolkhani was arrested six years ago on charges of murdering his sister. The same day in the same prison, Amir Islamdoost was also executed. He had been sentenced for Murder
So far, the news of the execution of these prisoners has not been announced in Iranian state media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-death-sentences-of-a-kurdish-prisoner-carried-out-in-urmia-prison
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6058/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/urmia-prison-the-number-of-prisoners-who-have-been-executed-has-risen-to-two
13 July 2023 :
(July 13, 2023) - 3 men executed in Jiroft on July 13
Mehdi Shariati, Rashid Dehmordeh, and “Salarifar”
According to reports obtained by Hengaw, during the early hours of Thursday, July 13th, 2023, the death penalties of Mehdi Shariati, Rashid Dehmordeh, and an inmate with the last name Salarifar were carried out at the Jiroft Central Prison.
Rashid Dehmordeh, a Baloch inmate from Dost Mohammad city, was apprehended five years ago in Jiroft for drug trafficking. He was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Jiroft.
Mehdi Shariati, a 40-year-old resident of Anbarabad, had been detained in Jiroft Prison for the past four years, and last winter, his brother Ahmad Shariati, aged 42, was executed at Rajaei-Shahr Prison for drug trafficking as well.
The third inmate, with the last name Salarifar, was from Jiroft, and had been convicted of murder.
These three prisoners were transferred to individual confinement cells in Jiroft Prison on Tuesday, July 11th, in preparation for their execution. Their families had their final visitation with them yesterday.
As of the time of this reporting, the execution of these three inmates has not been officially announced in the media outlets of the Islamic Republic.
13 July 2023 :
(July 13, 2023) - Mohammad Ghaedi and Sadegh Mahmoodi Baram executed publicly on July 13.
On July 13, 2023, two inmates were executed publicly for killing a police officer in Fuladshahr, located in the Isfahan province, as reported by Fars News Agency.
The condemned individuals, identified as Mohammad Ghaedi, aged 38, and Sadegh Mahmoodi Baram, aged 25, were found guilty of fatally shooting Police Officer Ehsan Nasiri during a group altercation that occurred between October and November 2021.
The death sentences were initially handed down by the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, under the jurisdiction of Judge Morteza Barati. Subsequently, the Supreme Court confirmed the verdict, leading to the implementation of the public execution.
https://www.en-hrana.org/public-execution-of-two-inmates-in-fuladshahr-for-police-officers-murder/
13 July 2023 :
(July 12, 2023) - Fatemeh Yousef Abadi, a woman, executed in Gohardasht on July 12
According to HRANA, a woman was executed in Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison on 12 July. Her identity has been reported as Fatemeh Yousef Abadi, who was sentenced for murder.
She was transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison for execution from Qarchak Prison for along with another prisoner. The second woman was returned to her cell for unknown reasons.
At the time of writing, her execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6051/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-death-sentence-of-a-woman-carried-out-at-the-rajaei-shahr-prison-in-karaj
14 July 2023 :
(July 12, 2023) - Hossein Ali Zarouni executed in Ilam on July 12.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Ilam Central Prison on 12 July. His identity has been established as Hossein Ali Zarouni from Kouhdasht. He was sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Hossein Ali Zarouni was a bank worker prior to arrest. He was sentenced to for the murder of his sister’s husband and also killing two policemen at the Gavmish bridge checkpoint while he was escaping.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6055/
14 July 2023 :
(July 12, 2023) - Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj witnessed the execution of five individuals, one of whom was a woman, all convicted of murder.
HRANA has identified the executed woman as Fatemeh Yousefabadi. Just one day before her execution, she was transferred from Qarchak Prison to solitary confinement in Rajai Shahr Prison, where the final verdict was carried out.
HRANA is working on identifying three other inmates.
At present, no official sources or media outlets within the country have reported on these executions.
14 July 2023 :
(July 12, 2023) - Hamed Hosseinpour executed in Maku on July 12
According to information obtained by IHR, the execution of Hamed Hosseinpour, an Azerbaijani Turk, has been carried out at Maku Prison on 12 July. 32-year-old Hosseinpour was sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Hamed Hosseinpour was accused of killing his friend with a knife during a verbal argument in Shoot park five years ago.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6052/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/capital-punishment-implemented-on-inmate-at-maku-prison
12 July 2023 :
(July 11, 2023) - Bakhtiar Cheraghi executed in Kermanshah on July 11
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Kermanshah (Dizel Abad) Central Prison on 11 July. His identity has been established as Bakhtiar Cheraghi. Charaghi was arrested twelve years ago. He was accused of killing a gold seller from Javanroud named Abdollah Veisi.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6050/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/dizel-abad-prison-after-12-years-the-death-sentence-of-an-inmate-was-executed
12 July 2023 :
(July 11th, 2023) - Musa Shahbakhsh executed in Zahedan on July 11
According to a report received by Hangaw, at dawn on Tuesday, July 11th, 2023, the death sentence was carried out on Musa Shahbakhsh, a 23-year-old Baloch prisoner from the village of Hajjiabad, Zahedan County. The execution took place in the Central Prison of this city.
Musa Shahbakhsh, a father of one child, has been detained in Zahedan since 2018 on charges related to drug crimes.
Until the time of writing this news, the execution of this prisoner had not been officially announced in the government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-implementation-of-a-prisoners-execution-in-zahedan-prison
12 July 2023 :
(July 9, 2023) - Two unidentified men executed in Arak on July 9
Two individuals convicted of drug-related crimes were executed today in Arak Prison. HRANA is currently working to identify the names and backgrounds of the executed prisoners.
At the time of writing, no official sources have reported on these executions.
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-convicted-of-drug-related-crimes-executed-in-arak-prison/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6049/
12 July 2023 :
(July 09, 2023) - Ebrahim Alizehi executed in Zahedan on June 9.
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 9 June. His identity has been reported as 38-year-old Ebrahim Alizehi from the Karimpour neighbourhood of Zahedan.
Ebrahim was a father of three who was arrested in Zahedan around five years ago. He was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6046/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-death-sentence-of-a-baluch-prisoner-was-executed-in-the-zahedan-prison
12 July 2023 :
(July 09, 2023) - 2 women executed in Isfahan on July 9
Monireh Sayadat and Farzieh Shokrollahi.
According to information obtained by IHR, two women were executed in Isfahan Central Prison on 9 July. Their identities have been established as 32-year-old Farzieh Shokrollahi and Monireh Sayadat who were both sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Monireh Sayadat was a tailor prior to arrest and had been behind bars for three years for the murder of her husband. She’s turned herself into the police after five months. Monireh was in love with her cousin but both their families were against their marriage. They forced Monireh to marry her husband and the murder had taken place during a verbal argument. Farzieh Shokrollahi had been in prison for murder for around five years.”
At the time of writing, the two women’s executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Iran is the biggest executioner of women. In 2022, at least 16 women were executed. Monireh and Farzieh are the eighth and ninth women to be executed in 2023. In 66% of the known murder cases, the women were convicted of killing their husband or partner. Within the marriage, a woman does not have the right to divorce, even in cases of domestic violence and abuse, which are hidden in cultural codes and language. With today's executions, at least 215 women have been hanged in Iran since 2007.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6048/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-death-sentence-of-two-women-prisoners-carried-out-in-isfahan-prison
12 July 2023 :
(July 09, 2023) - Hadi Shahuzehi executed in Kerman on June 9.
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in Kerman Central Prison on 9 June. His identity has been reported as 23-year-old Hadi Shahuzehi from Zahedan. According to Hengaw his name was Abdul Hadi Rigi (Shahouzahi).
Hadi was arrested around three years ago and sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6047/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-death-sentence-of-a-baloch-prisoner-carried-out-in-kerman-prison
09 July 2023 :
(July 8, 2023) - Mohammad Ramez Rashidi and Naeem Hashem Ghotali hanged in public on July 8
On the morning of Saturday July 8th, 2023, the execution of Mohammad Ramez Rashidi and Sayed Na'im Hashemi Qatali, both Afghan nationals, were carried out in a public setting in Shiraz.
The website "Mizan," closely associated with the Iranian Judiciary, has stated that these individuals were sentenced to execution on charges of connection with ISIS.
On October 26, gunmen opened fire on worshippers at Shiraz’s Shah Cheragh mosque, the 2nd-holiest site in Iran. At least 13 people lost their lives in the assault, which ISIS claimed on Amaq news magazine later during the day.
The Chief Justice of Fars Province had previously announced that the execution of these two Afghan nationals would occur in a public manner on “9th Dey” Street in Shiraz. The charges against them included "insurrection, rebellion, canonically outlawed, and connection with a terrorist organization."
Referring to the defendants as "citizens of one of the neighboring countries," the trial of Mohammad Ramez Rashidi and Sayed Na'im Hashemi took place in the revolutionary courts of Shiraz and Tehran, according to Mousavi.
The “Shah-Cheragh” case is connected to the shooting that took place in Shiraz during the nationwide protests last year, resulting in the death of 13 people and injuries to approximately 27 others. Occurred on October 26th, 2022, this incident has been labeled by public opinion in Iran as a "government’s staged" shooting aimed at diverting the public on the ongoing uprising.
Ahmad Vahidi, the Minister of Interior, and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Islamic Republic's Parliament, have associated the occurrence of the “Shah-Cheragh” incident with the backdrop of nationwide unrest. These statements have contributed to the prevailing hypothesis of government involvement in orchestrating the event.
The trial of Mohammad Ramez Rashidi and Sayed Na'im Hashemi Qatali, the two Afghan nationals implicated in the “Shah-Cheragh” case, started in January, 2023. Based on available information, the defendants have been deprived of minimal access to a fair trial and effective defense rights.
3 other defendants were handed prison sentences of 5, 15, and 25 years for ISIS membership.
As a human rights organization, we assert that Mohammad Ramez Rashidi and Sayed Na'im Hashemi have been denied the very basic rights to defendants. Furthermore, due to the unique situation in Afghanistan, they have been unable to access consular authorities. International human rights organizations, including the Red Cross, have not had any contact with the victims.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/public-execution-of-suspects-in-the-shah-cheragh-case
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6042/
09 July 2023 :
(July 6, 2023) - Abbas Rashgi and Saber Moghadami executed in Adel Abad on July 6
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Thursday, July 6, 2023, the death sentences of two Turkish prisoners, Abbas Rashgi, 39, and Saber Moghadami, 36, both from Maragheh city, were executed in Adel Abad prison in Shiraz on charges of drug-related crimes in the same case.
As of the time of this reporting, the news of the execution of these two prisoners has not been announced in the government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-death-sentences-of-two-turkish-prisoners-were-executed-in-shiraz-central-prison
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6040/
09 July 2023 :
(July 6, 2023) - Mousa Hakimi executed in Qom on July 6
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Qom Central Prison on 6 July. His identity has been established as Mousa Hakimi, from Mohammad Shahr in Alborz province. He was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
A source told IHR: “Mousa Hakimi was arrested around two years ago and was executed this morning.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6039/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-was-executed-in-qom-prison
05 July 2023 :
(July 4, 2023) - 3 men executed in Bandar Abbas on July 4. Names not known.
Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency, disclosed the execution of three inmates at Bandar Abbas prison on July 4. They were found guilty of conspiring in 12 cases of sexual assault in late 2021 in the southern province of Hormozgan, the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported. The three men "who raped a number of women in an unauthorised beauty salon were hanged in Bandar Abbas prison this morning," Hormozgan's Chief Justice Mojtaba Ghahramani was quoted as saying.
The three men who all worked for a beauty business, are alleged to have committed the rape when the clients were under anaesthesia. One is reported to have been a technician and doctor’s assistant and the other two nurses.
The report did not provide details about the identities of the executed individuals.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6030/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-four-inmates-in-khorramabad-and-bandar-abbas-revealed/
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-executes-rapists-lured-women-fake-clinic/32488891.html
https://iranwire.com/en/news/118178-three-men-executed-in-iran-for-allegedly-raping-women-in-fake-clinic/
04 July 2023 :
(July 2, 2023) - Yasser Golzardian executed in Khorramabad on July 2
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Khorramabad Central Prison (Parsilion) on 2 July. His identity has been established as Yasser Golzardian who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6026/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-carried-out-in-khorramabads-parsilon-prison
04 July 2023 :
(July 2, 2023) - Bahador Salimi executed in Qazvin on July 2.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Qazvin Central Prison (Choobindar) on 2 July. His identity has been established as 43-year-old Bahador Salimi from Hashtroud. He was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
A source told IHR: “Bahador Salimi was a father of two and had been behind bars for three years. He was transferred to solitary confinement along with a murder death row prisoner on Friday afternoon (30 June). The other prisoner was returned to his cell after obtaining an extension in his case and Bahador was executed.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6023/
04 July 2023 :
(July 2, 2023) - A woman, Afsaneh Shahiki, executed in Kerman on July 2
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Sunday, July 2nd, 2023, the death sentence of a Baloch female prisoner named Afsaneh Shahiki, 50, was executed in the central prison of Kerman.
Afshaneh Shahiki was arrested eight years ago in Bam City and later sentenced to death on the charge of murdering her husband with a gun.
As of the time of this reporting, the news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced in the government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-death-sentence-of-a-female-prisoner-was-executed-in-kerman
04 July 2023 :
(July 1, 2023) - Farshad Abdoli and Mojtaba Chegeni executed in Karaj on July 1
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Karaj Penitentiary on 1 July. Their identities have been established as Farshad Abdoli and Mojtaba Chegeni, sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
A source told IHR: “Abdoli, 30, from Harsin, Kermanshah, and Mojtaba Chegeni and another prisoner were transferred to solitary confinement on Friday (30 June). The other prisoner’s execution was postponed and he was returned to his cell.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6025/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-prison-for-drug-related-charges-in-karaj/
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-executed-for-drug-related-crimes-in-central-prison-of-karaj/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/07/the-death-sentence-of-a-kurdish-prisoner-from-harsin-was-executed-in-karaj-prison
04 July 2023 :
(June 24, 2023) - Mohsen Gomshadzehi and Eshagh Anshini executed in Zahedan on June 24.
According to Hal Vash, two Baluch men were executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 24 June. Their identities have been reported as 40-year-old Eshagh Anshini and 31-year-old Mohsen Gomshadzehi.
The report states that the two men were arrested after clashing with state forces around 11 years ago.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6013/
25 June 2023 :
(June 24, 2023) - Ishaq Anshini executed in Zahedan on June 14
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Saturday, June 24, 2023, the death sentence of a Baloch prisoner named Ishaq Anshani, 40 years old, from Rig Malik district, Mirjaveh, was carried out in Zahedan Central Prison.
According to Halavesh website, Ishaq Anshini was married and the father of five children, including one disabled child. He was arrested three years ago and sentenced to death by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court in Zahedan for drug-related charges.
So far, the news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced in the Iranian state media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/the-death-sentence-of-a-baloch-prisoner-carried-out-in-zahedan
23 June 2023 :
(June 21, 2023) - Hemin Mostafaei (Hemn Mustafai) executed on June 21 in Sanandaj central prison.
Hemin Mostafaei, a Kurdish prisoner from the city of Marivan, was arrested on March 1, 2013 on charges of murdering Ebrahim Mohammadi, a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
He was sentenced to death after his confession was broadcasted on Iran’s state-owned Press TV.
Sources close to Mostafaei’s family claim that the inmate had buckled under the intense physical and psychological torture he was being subjected to and was left with no choice but to take responsibility for the murder, according to human right monitors in Rojhelat.
The death row inmate was transferred to solitary confinement on Monday in preparation for his execution. His family members and rights activists gathered in front of the prison to try to cancel the execution but to no avail.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/21062023
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-prisoner-for-alleged-murder-of-irgc-member/
https://en.iranhrs.org/hayman-mustafaei-after-12-years-of-imprisonment-executed/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/the-death-sentence-of-hemin-mustafai-was-executed-in-sanandaj-central-prison
23 June 2023 :
(20 June, 2023) - Aref Havasi executed in Ilam on June 20
Prisoner Aref Havasi was executed on 20 June for murder in Ilam Central Prison.
Havasi, a 27-year-old resident of Qajar village in Ilam, was arrested in April 2021. He allegedly killed one of his close friends during a group fight.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/prisoner-executed-for-murder-related-charges-in-ilam/
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-executed-in-ilam-zanjan-and-gorgan/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/the-death-sentence-of-a-kurdish-prisoner-was-executed-in-ilam-prison
04 July 2023 :
(June 20, 2023) - Vahid Seifi executed in Tabriz on June 20.
Today, July 3, IHR learns that on June 20 a man, Vahid Seifi, was executed in Tabriz Central Prison. He had been sentenced for murder.
On 28 June Iran Human Rights reported the execution, on June 20, of his co-defendant, Siamak Lotfi, in the same prison.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6027/
30 June 2023 :
(June 20, 2023) - Siamak Lutfi executed in Tabriz on June 20
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Saturday, June 20, 2023, the death sentence of Siamak Lutfi was executed in Tabriz Central Prison.
Siamak Lutfi was arrested four years ago and, on charges of murder, sentenced to death.
It should be mentioned that this prisoner was married and had a child. Until the time of this reporting, the news of the execution of this prisoner hadn't been published in the government outlet media
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-in-tabriz-was-executed
20 June 2023 :
(June 19, 2023) - Hadi Al-Nasser and Abbas Khanjari executed in Ahvaz on June 19.
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Sepidar Prison of Ahvaz on 19 June. Their identities have been established as 34-year-old Hadi Al-Nasser and Abbas Khanjari. They were sentenced for murder in the same case.
A source told IHR: “The two prisoners were transferred to Sepidar Prison from Sheiban Prison for execution. They were arrested for murder around five years ago. Their bodies were returned to their families post execution and laid to rest in Falahieh city.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6002/
20 June 2023 :
(June 19, 2023) - Danesh Salari executed in Kahnuj on June 19
According to reports received by Hengaw, the execution order for Danesh Salari, a 24-year-old Baloch man resident of Kolgan village in Rudbar city, was carried out in the early morning of Monday, June 19th, 2023, at Kahnuj (Kohnouj, Kenhaj) prison in Kerman province.
As indicated in haalvsh.org, Danesh Salari, a married man and father of two children, was arrested three years ago on charges of murder and sentenced to death by the criminal court in Kahnuj.
04 July 2023 :
(June 19, 2023) - Mohsen Samadi executed in Saveh on June 19
According to information obtained by IHR on July 3, a man was executed in Saveh Prison on 19 June. His identity has been established as Mohsen Samadi, sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
A source told IHR: “Mohsen Samadi was transferred from Arak Central Prison to Saveh Prison prior to execution. Because he was arrested in Saveh, his sentence was carried out in Saveh Prison.”
Despite two weeks passing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6024/
23 June 2023 :
(June 18, 2023) - Hamed … executed in Gorgan on June 18
Unidentified prisoner executed in Gorgan on June 18. Iran Newspaper covered the execution of an inmate in Gorgan Prison. According to the publication, a man named Hamed, along with six others, including two brothers of the victim, was involved in the killing of Mahmood.
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-executed-in-ilam-zanjan-and-gorgan/
23 June 2023 :
(June 18, 2023) - Ali Mula Shamsi (Molashmasi), aged 40, was executed on June 18, 2023, in Zanjan Prison. Shamsi was arrested about 30 months ago for drug-related charges and was later sentenced to death.
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-executed-in-ilam-zanjan-and-gorgan/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-carried-out-in-zanjan-prison
20 June 2023 :
(June 18, 2023) - 4 men executed in Kerman on June 18
Mohammad Sepahi, Fazl Ahmad Ghafran, Gholam Mir + Unk
On Sunday, June 18th, an execution was carried out at Kerman prison for Gholam Mir from Zahedan, Mohammad Sepahi from Saravan, a married man with three children, and Fazl Ahmad Ghafran from Zahedan, a 35-year-old married with two children. Along with another unidentified prisoner, all 4 were executed in Kerman prison.
Mohammad Sepahi, Fazl Ahmad Ghafran, and Gholam Mir had been sentenced to death in Kerman province for drug trafficking. HoC already published (see June 18) the news of the execution of Fazl Ahmad Ghafran.
As of the time of this report, the executions of the above prisoners has not been officially announced inside Iran.
19 June 2023 :
(June 18, 2023) - Unidentified man executed in public on June 18.
According to Fars news agency, a man was publicly hanged in a park beach in Bandar-e-Deylam, Khuzestan province, on 18 June. The unnamed man was sentenced for the murder of two policemen, Said Navid Musavi and “Jalil Dazeh, in Deylam on 29 March 2022.
This is the second public execution in 2023.
Another unidentified man was publicly hanged for charges of efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) in Maragheh on 25 May.
Repeating its warning about the resumption of public executions, Iran Human Rights urges the international community for urgent action to stop these state crimes.
Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “The international community must not tolerate such medieval punishments in 2023. Governments with diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic, particularly those in negotiations, must not turn a blind eye to these crimes.”
2021 was the first year in over a decade during which no public executions were carried out by the Islamic Republic. This followed 2020 when only one execution was recorded, which was the lowest number since 2016, when Iran Human Rights started its systematic monitoring of executions in Iran. There is no indication that the decline in the number of public executions were the result of policy change, but rather a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. In 2022, public executions returned to the streets of Iran with two people publicly executed. At least five other men have been sentenced to public executions, including Afghan nationals Mohammad Ramez Rashidi and Naeim Hashem Ghotali.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6003/
https://en.iranhrs.org/public-execution-of-a-prisoner-in-dilam-city/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/public-execution-of-an-inmate-at-bandar-deylam
19 June 2023 :
(June 18, 2023) - Fazl Ahmad Ghafran (Rukhshani) executed in Kerman on June 18
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Sunday, June 18, 2023, the death sentence of a Baloch prisoner named Fazl Ahmad Ghafran, 35, from Zahedan, married and the father of two children, was executed in Kerman prison.
Fazal Ahmed Ghafran was arrested four years ago and later sentenced to death by the Kerman Revolutionary Court on charges of drug-related crimes.
As of the time of this reporting, the news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced inside Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-was-executed-in-kerman-prison
https://en.iranhrs.org/a-baloch-prisoner-exetuted-and-another-baloch-transferred-for-execution/
19 June 2023 :
(June 17, 2023) - Mahmoud Rakhshani executed in Zahedan on June 17
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Saturday, June 17, 2023, the death sentence of a Baloch prisoner named Mahmoud Rakhshani, 27, from Zahedan, was executed in the central prison of this city. Mahmoud Rakhshani was arrested five years ago and later sentenced to death by the Zahedan Revolutionary Court on charges of drug-related crimes.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-was-executed-in-zahedan
https://en.iranhrs.org/a-baloch-prisoner-exetuted-and-another-baloch-transferred-for-execution/
23 June 2023 :
(June 17, 2023) - Ali Brar Kazemi executed in Shiraz on June 17
According to the report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, at dawn on Saturday, June 17, 2023, the death sentence of a Kurdish prisoner from Sarpol-e Zahab city named Ali Brar Kazemi was executed in Adel Abad prison in Shiraz.
Hengaw has been informed that Ali Brar Kazemi was arrested three years ago in Shiraz and later sentenced to death by the judicial system of the Islamic Republic of Iran on charges of drug-related crimes.
It should be mentioned that he was married and the father of two children.
As of the time of this reporting, the news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced in the government media
19 June 2023 :
(June 14, 2023) - Milad Qobadi (Ghobadi) executed in Yasuj on June 14
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, the death sentence of Milad Qobadi was executed in Yasuj Central Prison.
This prisoner was arrested four years ago on the charge of murder.
As of the time of this reporting, the news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced inside Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-was-executed-in-yasuj
https://www.en-hrana.org/multiple-executions-carried-out-in-yasuj-shiraz-karaj/
19 June 2023 :
(June 14, 2023) - Hasan Ali Hasanpour (Hassanali Hassanpour) executed in Gachsaran on June 14.
On June 14, 2023, an inmate who was convicted of murder was executed in Gachsaran Prison, located in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province. HRANA has identified this inmate as Hassanali Hassanpour, a resident of a village in Gachsaran County. As of now, there have been no reports from official sources or domestic media outlets in the country regarding this execution.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/prisoner-in-gachsaran-was-executed
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-inmate-reported-in-gachsaran-prison/
https://en.iranhrs.org/shiraz-gohardasht-yasouj-and-gachsaran-five-prisoners-executed/
20 June 2023 :
(June 13, 2023) - 4 men executed in Gohardasht on June 13
Vahid Dinpajuh, Hamedi Ahmadi + 2 Unk
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, four men were executed in Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison on 13 June. Two of the men’s identities have been established as Vahid Dinpajuh and Hamedi Ahmadi. They were sentenced for murder.
One of the men’s execution was reported by state media. According to Javan Online, the unnamed man was sentenced for the murder of his wife around four years ago. We already published this single case (see HoC June 13).
At the time of writing, the other three men’s executions have not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5999/
19 June 2023 :
(June 13, 2023) - Hamid… executed in Gohardasht on June 13. According to Javan Online on June 13, a man identified only as Hamid was executed at Rajai Shahr Prison in Gohardasht. The individual had been charged with the murder of his wife three years ago.
https://www.en-hrana.org/multiple-executions-carried-out-in-yasuj-shiraz-karaj/
https://en.iranhrs.org/shiraz-gohardasht-yasouj-and-gachsaran-five-prisoners-executed/
14 June 2023 :
(June 12, 2023) - Hadi Al-Naser executed in Ahvaz on June 12
Hengaw has obtained reliable information indicating that in the early hours of June 12, 2023, an Arab inmate by the name of Hadi Al-Naser, of Shadegan origin, was executed in Ahvaz Central Prison. Hadi Al-Nasser was arrested five years ago on charges of premeditated murder. At the time of reporting, there had been no official announcement regarding the execution of Hadi Al-Nasser inside Iran.
Another inmate executed in Central Prison in Ahvaz (hengaw.net)
04 July 2023 :
(June 12, 2023) - Mohammad Pourkhosravani executed in Sirjan on June 12
According to information obtained today, July 1, by IHR, a man was executed in Sirjan Prison on 12 June. His identity has been established as Mohammad Pourkhosravani who was sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Mohammad Pourkhosravani had killed his cousin during a fight in the village of Ebrahim Abad, in Sirjan, around three years ago. He was executed despite the fact that some family members had forgiven him.”
Despite more than two weeks passing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6020/
13 June 2023 :
(June 11, 2023) - Hossein Amani-Nejad and Hamed Yavari executed in Hamedan on June 11
On June 11, 2023, authorities in Hamedan Prison carried out the execution of two prisoners involved in separate cases of drug-related crimes and murder.
The inmates have been identified as Hossein Amani-Nejad and Hamed Yavari, with Amani-Nejad convicted of drug offenses four years ago and Yavari found guilty of the murder of his sister-in-law six years ago, according to HRANA.
At the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have reported on these executions.
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-hamedan-and-karaj/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/the-death-sentences-of-four-prisoners-carried-out-in-hamadan-and-karaj-prisons
19 June 2023 :
(June 11, 2023) - Alireza Shahcheraghi (Shahcheragh) and Taher Nouri executed in Shiraz on June 11.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Adelabad Prison in Shiraz on 11 June. Their identities have been established as Alireza Shahcheraghi and 38-year-old Taher Nouri. They were both sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court in separate cases.
A source told Iran Human Rights: “Taher Nouri was arrested for drug-related charges around three years ago and sentenced to death.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5996/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/the-death-sentences-of-two-prisoners-were-executed-in-shiraz-central-prison
https://en.iranhrs.org/shiraz-gohardasht-yasouj-and-gachsaran-five-prisoners-executed/
https://www.en-hrana.org/multiple-executions-carried-out-in-yasuj-shiraz-karaj/
14 June 2023 :
(June 11, 2023) - Ebrahim Gomshadzehi (Gumshadzehi) executed in Kerman on June 11
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in Kerman Central Prison on 11 June. His identity has been reported as 48-year-old Ebrahim Gomshadzehi, from Zahedan.
Ebrahim was arrested in Kerman for drug-related charges around three years ago, and later sentenced to death for the charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5994/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/kerman-prison-execution-of-the-death-sentence-of-a-baloch-prisoner
13 June 2023 :
(June 11, 2023) - Haidar Chishti + Unk executed in Torbat-e-Jam on June 11
According to a report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Sunday, June 11, 2023, the death sentences of Haidar Chishti, 34 years old, and another prisoner whose identity remains unknown, both from Torbat-e Jam, were executed in the Central Prison of this city.
These two inmates were arrested three years ago and, on charges of drug-related crimes, sentenced to death. They were reportedly Sunni Muslims.
At the time of this reporting, the government-associated media outlets had not announced the execution of these two inmates.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/torbat-e-jam-prison-two-inmates-were-executed
13 June 2023 :
(June 11, 2023) - Daryush Rahimi executed in Mashhad on June 11
The reports obtained by Hengaw indicates the execution of 33-year-old Daryush Rahimi took place in the early hours of Sunday, June 11, 2023, at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. Official sources previously reported that Dariush Rahimi was convicted of killing a policeman, Ehsan Paykhesteh, a member of the “Special Tactics Unit", while stealing a motorbike on 25 February 2022 in the city of Mashhad. He was sentenced to public execution at the scene of the alleged crime by the Fifth Branch of a Criminal Court in Khorasan Razavi Province, and the verdict was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court. It is not clear why his execution was carried out at the prison.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/an-inmate-was-executed-in-vakilabad-prison-for-the-murder-of-a-special-tactics-unit-officer
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5989/
13 June 2023 :
(June 10, 2023) - Saeid Nasiri and Masoud Sasani executed in Karaj on June 10.
Prisoners Saeid Nasiri and Masoud Sasani were executed in Karaj Central Penitentiary on 10 June on drug-related charges.
The two prisoners, both around 37 years old and from the village of Darvan in Karaj, were arrested about three years ago and sentenced to death in a joint drug case.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-two-prisoners-for-drug-related-charges-in-karaj-2/
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-hamedan-and-karaj/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5991/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/the-death-sentences-of-four-prisoners-carried-out-in-hamadan-and-karaj-prisons
10 June 2023 :
(June 9, 2023) - 3 men executed in Urmia on June 9
Jafar Mohammadpour, Ghobad Farhadi (Farhadpour) + Unk.
According to information obtained by Hengaw, the morning of Friday June 9, 2023, marked the implementation of the death penalty for at least three inmates who had been convicted of drug trafficking within Urmia Central Prison.
The identities of two have been established as Jafar Mohammadpour, a 43-year-old resident of Sardasht, and Ghobad Farhadi from Kermanshah (Kermashan). Hengaw is still in the process of investigating the identity of the third inmate.
Final visit with their families was conducted the day prior to the executions.
Jafar Mohammadpour and Ghobad Farhadi, both married and fathers of multiple children.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/the-number-of-executions-carried-out-by-iranian-government-continues-to-rise-three-more-inmates-executed-in-urmia
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-for-drug-related-crimes-in-urmia-prison/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5987/
10 June 2023 :
(June 8, 2023) - Houshang Amirzadeh executed in Qazvin on June 8
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Qazvin Central Prison (Chubindar) on 8 June. His identity has been established as Houshang Amirzadeh, who was arrested for drug-related charges around three years ago.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5980/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-carried-out-in-qazvin-central-prison
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-zahedan-and-qazvin/
10 June 2023 :
(June 8, 2023) - Ali Doust Barahouyi, (Hafez Ali Dost Barahui, Alidoost Sumalani) executed in Zahedan on June 8
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 8 June. His identity has been reported as 45-year-old Ali Doust Barahouyi, sentenced for the murder of his wife.
He was arrested in Kharout Bakhsh village around two years ago.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5984/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/the-capital-punishment-of-another-baloch-inmate-implemented-in-zahedan
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-zahedan-and-qazvin/
10 June 2023 :
(June 7, 2023) - Hasan Brahui executed in Gorgan on June 7
According to a report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, the death sentence of a Balouch prisoner, Hasan Brahui, 33 years old, from Zabol, was carried out in Gorgan Central Prison.
This prisoner, who was the father of four children, was arrested five years ago on charges of drug-related crimes.
At the time of this reporting, the government-associated media outlets had not announced the execution of this Balouch prisoner.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/a-balouch-prisoner-was-executed-in-the-central-prison-of-gorgan
10 June 2023 :
(June 6, 2023) - 2 men executed in Karaj on June 6.
Einollah Badri-Nejad (Ainalah Badrinezhad) + Unk.
On June 6, 2023, two inmates who had been convicted of drug-related crimes were executed at the Central Prison of Karaj. HRANA has identified one of these individuals as Einollah Badri-Nejad, Hengaw as Ainalah Badrinezhad.
As of now, no official sources have reported on these executions.
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-central-prison-of-karaj-2/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/in-the-ongoing-surge-of-executions-in-iran-2-inmates-faced-capital-punishment-in-karaj-prison
07 June 2023 :
(June 6, 2023) - Malik Baloch Mahani and Kambiz Barzkar executed in Kerman on June 6
According to the report received by Hengaw, the death sentences of Malik Baloch Mahani and Kambiz Barzkar, from Bam city, were executed in Kerman prison at dawn on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.
According to Rasanak website, Malik Baloch Mahani, 40 years old, and Kambiz Barzkar, 32 years old, are both married and have children. They were arrested in 2019 on drug-related charges and sentenced to death for the same charges.
The two prisoners had their last visit with the family the day before.
As of the time of this reporting, the execution of these prisoners has not been officially announced inside Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/two-prisoners-were-executed-in-kerman-prison
https://en.iranhrs.org/50-prisoners-awaiting-execution/
20 June 2023 :
(June 2, 2023) - Ali Mohammad Zeraat and Esmail Nasiri executed in Shiraz on June 2
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Shiraz Central Prison on 2 June. Their identities have been established as Ali Mohammad Zeraat and Esmail Nasiri, sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
A source told IHR: “Ali Mohammad Zeraat and Esmail Nasiri were arrested around three years ago. Ali Mohammad had a small child.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5969/
03 June 2023 :
(June 1, 2023) - Rasoul (Rasul) Sheikh Arpanahi and Neemat (Nemat) Arzani executed in Kashan on June 1.
According to a report obtained by Hengaw, in the early hours of June 1st, 2023, the execution of at least two prisoners named Rasoul (Rasul) Sheikh Arpanahi, 27 years old, and Neemat (Nemat) Arzani, 33 years old, both from the city of Falavarjan, were carried out in Kashan Central Prison. Both inmates were arrested in Kashan in 2019 and sentenced to death for drug trafficking crimes.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/four-more-inmates-executed-in-isfahan-and-kashan-prisons
https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/ncri-statements/statement-human-rights/execution-of-6-prisoners-on-thursday-41-executions-in-the-last-11-days-and-146-executions-in-may/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-five-inmates-in-shiraz-isfahan-and-kashan/
03 June 2023 :
(June 1, 2023) - Aghil (Aqeel) Arab + Unk executed in Isfahan (Dastgerd Prison) on June 1
As of this moment the identity of one of the inmates by the name of Aghil Arab, 27 years old, from Yazdanshahr, Isfahan, has been confirmed by Hengaw, while the identity of the other is still under investigation by Hengaw. Aghil Arab was arrested five years ago for drug trafficking charges and later received a death sentence.
As of the time of this reporting, the execution of these prisoners has not been officially announced inside Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/four-more-inmates-executed-in-isfahan-and-kashan-prisons
https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/ncri-statements/statement-human-rights/execution-of-6-prisoners-on-thursday-41-executions-in-the-last-11-days-and-146-executions-in-may/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-five-inmates-in-shiraz-isfahan-and-kashan/
01 June 2023 :
(June 1, 2023) - Ashkan Sohrabi and Arya Parvizi executed in Kenhaj on June 1
According to a report received by Hengaw, on the morning of Thursday June 1st, 2023, the executions of Arya Parvizi and Ashkan Sohrabi, two Baloch prisoners convicted of drug trafficking, took place at Kenhaj Central Prison, in Kerman Province.
Both individuals had been arrested in Kahnuj three years ago.
At the time of this reporting, the executions of these two inmates has not been officially announced inside Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/06/two-balouch-nationals-executed-at-kahnuj-prison
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-karaj-and-kahnuj/
01 June 2023 :
(May 31, 2023) - 3 men executed in Gohardasht Central Prison, aka Rajai Shahr, on May 31
Hossein Rusta (Roosta), Nader Nouri, Hassan Nourollahi
The death sentence of three prisoners in the Rajaei-Shahr Prison of Karaj were executed. The identities of the men have been confirmed as Hossein Rusta, Nader Nouri, Hassan Nourollahi.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, the death sentences of two prisoners named Hossein Rusta and Nader Nouri and another prisoner, whose identity is under investigation, were executed in the Rajaei-Shahr prison of Karaj. These three prisoners were all sentenced for murder.
Until the time of writing this news, the execution of these three prisoners had not been announced inside Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/three-prisoners-in-rajaei-shahr-prison-in-karaj-have-been-executed
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-karaj-and-kahnuj/
01 June 2023 :
(May 30, 2023) - 3 men executed in Karaj on May 30
In recent days Hengaw had published the news of 2 men, EzatAli Sabzi and Mohammad Kazemi, executed in Karaj on May 30th. Today, June 1, Hrana writes that a third man, whose name has not been identified, who was also convicted of drug crimes, was also executed that day.
At the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have reported on these executions.
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-three-inmates-at-central-prison-of-karaj/
01 June 2023 :
(May 30, 2023) - Amir Narouyi executed on May 30.
According to Haal Vsh, on May 30 a Baloch prisoner named Amir Narouyi (Shiranzehi) was executed.
Narouyi, from Zahak, married and had six children, was arrested in 2019 on charges related to drugs. At the time of writing, the prison where the hanging occurred is unknown
31 May 2023 :
(May 30, 2023) - EzatAli Sabzi and Mohammad Kazemi executed in Karaj on May 30
According to a report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, the death sentences of two prisoners named EzatAli Sabzi, 44, a Kurdish citizen from Harsin, Kermanshah province, and Mohammad Kazemi, were executed in Karaj Central Prison.
According to a source, three years ago, Ezat-Ali Sabzi, father of three children, was arrested and sentenced to death for drug-related crimes. Also, his brother, Fardin Sabzi, was executed for the same charge 11 years ago.
Mohammad Kazemi was from Karaj and sentenced to death for drug-related crimes.
The news of the execution of these two prisoners has not been announced inside Iran so far.
29 May 2023 :
(May 28, 2023) - Abdul Rahman Mozafari executed in Sanandaj on May 28
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Sunday, May 28, 2023, the death sentence of AbdulRahman Mozafari, 60, from Qorveh (Qorwah), was executed in the central prison of Sanandaj. Abdul Rahman Mozafari was arrested 16 years ago on the charge of premeditated murder.
About three months ago, this prisoner was transferred from Dizelabad Kermanshah prison to Sanandaj Central Prison to execute the death sentence, but after the non-execution, he was returned to Dizelabad again.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/the-death-sentence-of-an-elderly-prisoner-was-executed-in-sanandaj-prison
https://hana-hr.org/content/20230529-execution-of-a-prisoner-after-17-years-of-imprisonment
https://en.iranhrs.org/abdul-rahman-mozafari-executed-after-17-years/
02 June 2023 :
(May 28, 2023) - Jalil Minaei executed in Meshkin Shahr on May 28
On Sunday, May 28, a prisoner named Jalil Minaei was hanged in Meshkin Shahr prison. At the time, NCRI has no other information on this case.
29 May 2023 :
(May 28, 2023) - Woman executed in Mashhad on May 28
Monireh Nourikia (Norikia, Monireh Noori-Kia)
Iran executed Monireh Nourikia (Norikia, Monireh Noori-Kia), a woman prisoner sentenced to death for murder, in Mashhad Central Prison on 28 May.
Nourikia, 35, was arrested in 2020.
Several men were also reportedly executed at the same time in Mashhad Central Prison, but no information has yet been received on the identities of these prisoners.
With the execution of Monireh Noori-Kia, the number of women executed in Iran has reached 212 since 2007.
The Iranian regime is the world’s top record holder of the executions of women.
The Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran has compiled these women’s names in a list called “List of Women Executed in Iran since 2007.”
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-woman-prisoner-in-north-eastern-mashhad/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/another-woman-executed-in-mashhad-central-prison
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/05/28/monireh-noori-kia-212th-executed/
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2022/10/10/executions-of-women/
28 May 2023 :
(May 27, 2023) - Mohammad Amin Valinia executed in Khorramabad on May 27
The death sentence of Mohammad Amin Valinia, from Nurabad, Lorestan province, who was sentenced to death on charges of premeditated murder, was carried out in Parsilon prison.
According to a report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Saturday, May 27, 2023, the death sentence of Muhammad Amin Valinia, 33 years old, was executed secretly at Khorramabad's Parsilon Prison.
Ten years ago, on charges of premeditated murder, Mohammad Amin Valinia was arrested and sentenced to death by the judiciary system of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
As of the time of this reporting, the execution of this prisoner has not been officially announced by the government-affiliated media, particularly those closely associated with the judiciary.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/the-death-sentence-of-an-inmate-in-khurramaabad-was-executed
30 May 2023 :
(May 27, 2023) - Abdullah Totazehi executed in Garmsar on May 27
According to NCRI, on Saturday, May 27, Abdullah Totazehi, a Baluch, was executed in Garmsar prison (Semnan Province). No other information.
29 May 2023 :
(May 27, 2023) - Hossein Soltanian executed in Zahedan on May 27
According to reports obtained by Hengaw, on the early hours of Saturday, May 27th, 2023, Hossein Soltanian, 39, a Kurdish prisoner from Sarableh in Ilam province, was executed in Zahedan prison.
A source confirmed that Mr. Soltanian had been arrested ten years ago on charges of murder.
Hengaw has learned that Soltanian repeatedly denied his involvement in the murder over the course of his imprisonment. As of the time of this reporting, the execution of this Kurdish inmate has not been announced inside Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/execution-of-kurdish-inmate-in-zahedan-central-prison
02 June 2023 :
(May 27, 2023) - Noorullah Taymuri executed in Zahedan on May 27.
Another execution had previously been reported on the same day and in the same prison, that of Hossein Soltanian. Now NCRI is writing about this second execution, of which, however, it has no further details.
01 June 2023 :
(May 25, 2023) - 2 men, partially identified, executed in Rasht on 25 May. Mohammad and Hamidreza.
According to NCRI, 2 prisoners named Mohammad and Hamidreza were executed in Rasht prison on May 25. No other information on this case.
27 May 2023 :
(May 25, 2023) - Ali Piri executed in Urmia on May 25
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Urmia (Darya) Central Prison on 25 May. His identity has been established as 40-year-old Ali Piri, who was sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR that Ali Piri was arrested around three years ago.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5944/
https://en.iranhrs.org/jiroft-and-urmia-three-prisoners-executed/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-carried-out-in-urmia-prison/
28 May 2023 :
(May 25, 2023) - 4 men executed in Kerman on May 25
Ali Shahriari, Ghaderbakhsh Dehani (Qader Bakhsh Dahani), Abdolrasould (Abdul Rasul) Jamishidi, Ali Salari
According to Hal Vash, four men were executed in Kerman Central Prison on 25 May. Their identities have been reported as Baluch minorities Ali Shahriari, 40, Ghaderbakhsh Dehani, 39, Abdolrasould Jamishidi, 55 and Ali Salari.
They were all sentenced to death for drug-related charges. Ghaderbakhsh Dehani was on death row for around five years and Abdolrasoul Jamishidi was arrested around three years ago.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5945/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/15-prisoners-executed-in-iranian-prisons-during-the-past-week
28 May 2023 :
(May 25, 2023) - 6 men executed in Kerman on May 25
On May 25, Haal Vsh reported the executions of Nader Kalbali, 39, and Abdorasoul Jamshidi, 55, in Kerman Prison. Both individuals were sentenced to death for drug-related offenses. Recent updates say that the persons executed that day in that prison are six, 4 of whom have not yet been identified.
https://www.en-hrana.org/six-inmates-executed-across-different-prisons-in-iran/
https://www.en-hrana.org/six-inmates-executed-across-different-prisons-in-iran/
27 May 2023 :
(May 25, 2023) - Mehdi Salari and Mohammad Daraei (Daraie, or Chaina) executed in Jiroft on May 25
The sentence of 2 Baloch prisoners, Mehdi Salari and Mohammad Daraei (known as Gol-Bacheh or Ahmad Golbache or Ahmad Golbacheh, a 30 year-old from Zahedan), who were previously sentenced to death on drug-related charges, was carried out in Jiroft Prison.
Mehdi Salari from Jiroft was executed after three years in prison, and Daraei was in prison for 4 years.
https://en.iranhrs.org/jiroft-and-urmia-three-prisoners-executed/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/iranian-government-has-executed-yet-two-other-inmates-in-jiroft
https://www.en-hrana.org/six-inmates-executed-across-different-prisons-in-iran/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/15-prisoners-executed-in-iranian-prisons-during-the-past-week
27 May 2023 :
(May 25, 2023) - Amir Mahdi executed in public on May 25
According to the IHRS, on Thursday, May 25, 2023, a prisoner was hanged in public in the city of Maragheh, East Azerbaijan province. The name of this prisoner was Amir Mahdi.
According to Fars news agency, Mahmoud Nemati, the public prosecutor and Maragheh revolution, announced the execution of this prisoner named Amir Mahdi in an interview with this news agency.
He accused this prisoner of efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) through “widespread corruption and prostitution.”
Amir Mahdi has been imprisoned in Maragheh prison since 2016 and was sentenced to death for this charge. According to other sources (Hrana), the inmate, identified by his first name as Amir-Mehdi, was convicted of rape six years ago.
Public execution is one of the methods of increasing the atmosphere of terror in the society and further repression, and this trick of the system is condemned.
https://en.iranhrs.org/maragheh-the-brutal-execution-of-a-prisoner-in-public/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-was-executed-in-public-in-maragheh
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5943/
https://www.en-hrana.org/six-inmates-executed-across-different-prisons-in-iran/
28 May 2023 :
(May 25, 2023) - Saeed Mohammadi Far (Mohammadifar) executed in Sanandaj on May 25.
The death sentence of a prisoner named Saeed Mohammadi Far (Saeed Mohammadifar), sentenced for murder, was executed in Sanandaj Central Prison.
According to a report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Thursday, May 25, 2023, the death sentence of Saeed Mohammadifar, from Kermanshah, was executed in Sanandaj Central Prison.
Hengaw had previously reported that Saeed Mohammadifar was arrested seven years ago on the charges of murder and was later sentenced to death.
It should also be mentioned that in 2020, he was transferred to the solitary cell of this prison to execute the sentence, but it was postponed.
The news of the execution of this prisoner was not announced until the publication of this news in the government media and the media related to the judiciary.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/the-death-sentence-of-a-prisoner-was-executed-in-sanandaj-central-prison
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/15-prisoners-executed-in-iranian-prisons-during-the-past-week
03 June 2023 :
(May 24, 2023) - Ali Mohammad Zera’at and Esmaiel Nasiri executed in Shiraz on May 24.
Hrana learned on June 2 that 2 inmates were executed in Shiraz Central Prison, aka Adel Abad (Adelabad) Prison on May 24, 2023. The individuals have been identified as Ali Mohammad Zera’at, a father of a young child, and Esmaiel Nasiri. The prisoners have been convicted of drug-related crimes. At the time of writing, no official sources have reported these executions.
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-five-inmates-in-shiraz-isfahan-and-kashan/
https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/ncri-statements/statement-human-rights/execution-of-6-prisoners-on-thursday-41-executions-in-the-last-11-days-and-146-executions-in-may/
30 May 2023 :
(May 24, 2023) - According to NCRI, on Wednesday, May 24, Parviz Javadi was executed in Zanjan prison. No other information.
29 May 2023 :
(May 24, 2023) - Nader Alizahi executed in Kerman on May 24
On Wednesday, May 24, 2023, the death sentence of a Baloch prisoner with the identity of Nader Alizahi, 39 years old, son of Jahangir and a resident of Dezap-Zahedan, was executed in Kerman prison.
Nader Alizahi known as Nader Baloch was married and the father of five children.
Based on this report, in 2020 he was arrested in Kerman for crimes related to drugs.
It should be mentioned that Nader Alizehi committed suicide by consuming 80 pills before his execution.
https://hana-hr.org/content/20230528-a-baloch-prisoner-executed-in-kerman-prison
27 May 2023 :
(May 23, 2023) - Majid Sharifi (Jafari) and Ali Tabib executed in Isfahan on May 23.
According to the IHRS, on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 two prisoners were executed in Dastgerd prison in Isfahan.
These two prisoners were Majid Sharifi, sentenced to death two years ago for drug-related crimes, and Ali Tabib sentenced for murder three years ago.
https://en.iranhrs.org/dastgerd-of-isfahan-two-prisoners-executed/
https://www.en-hrana.org/six-inmates-executed-across-different-prisons-in-iran/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/15-prisoners-executed-in-iranian-prisons-during-the-past-week
28 May 2023 :
(May 23, 2023) - … Bazi executed in Gorgan on May 23
HRANA learned on May 26 that on May 23 a man named Bazi (first name unknown) was executed in Gorgan Prison. He was convicted of murder.
According to his source, identified only by the surname Bazi (or Bazi) received the death penalty for killing someone during an inheritance dispute.
As of the time of this report, there have been no official statements or reports from domestic media outlets regarding this execution.
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-gorgan-prison/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/15-prisoners-executed-in-iranian-prisons-during-the-past-week
25 May 2023 :
(May 23, 2023) - Unidentified man executed in Bandar Abbas on May 23
According to the Judiciary’s Mizan news agency, a man was executed in Bandar Abbas Central Prison on 23 May. The unnamed man was sentenced to death for efsad-fil-arz harges as well as qisas for the murder of a policeman. The report does not specify which sentence was carried out.
Mojtaba Ghahremani, the Hormozgan Prosecutor is quoted as saying: “According to the sentence, the convict was sentenced to death for charges of efsad-fil-arz through armed smuggling of narcotics and sentenced to qisas or the murder of Rahim Ghassemi Shiri…”
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5939/
29 May 2023 :
(May 23, 2023) - Maysam Sadri executed in Zanjan on May 23
According to the report received by Hengaw on May 28, at dawn on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, the death sentence of a prisoner named Maysam Sadri, from Khorramdareeh, Zanjan Province, was executed in Zanjan Central Prison. He was sentenced for murder. He has been imprisoned in a prison in Abhar city, Zanjan province since the time of his arrest and was recently transferred to Zanjan Prison to execute the death sentence.
The news of the execution of this prisoner has not been officially announced inside Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/a-prisoner-was-executed-in-zanjan-central-prison
24 May 2023 :
(May 23, 2023) - Saeed Mohammadi executed in Kermanshah on May 23.
According to reports obtained by Hengaw, the death penalty of Saeed Mohammadi, a 46 year-old Kurdish prisoner from “Naw Darwin” in central Kermanshah province, was carried out at early hours on Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023 in central prison of Kermanshah.
According to a source, Mohammadi was arrested 12 years ago and convicted of premeditated murder.
As of the time of this reporting, the execution of this inmate has not been reported inside Iran.
21 May 2023 :
(May 20, 2023) - 1 more execution in Ghezel-Hesar on May 20
Shahram Sharqi
With the execution of another prisoner named Shahram Sharqi, the number of prisoners executed today in Ghezel-Hesar prison reached four.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Saturday, May 20, 2023, the death sentence of a prisoner named Shahram Sharqi was carried out in Ghezel-Hesar prison on drug-related charges.
At the dawn of this day and simultaneously with the execution of Shahram Sharqi, the death sentence of three prisoners named Saeed Garavand, Samad Garavand, and Shahab Mansouri Nasab Garavand were carried out in Ghezel-Hesar prison in Karaj.
21 May 2023 :
(May 20, 2023) - Shahrooz Sokhanvari executed in Gohardasht on May 20
arrested by Interpol in Malaysia and extradited to Iran in 2020.
The judiciary’s Mizan Online news website said that Shahrouz Sokhanvari was hanged Saturday morning in Gohardasht Central Prison, aka Rajai Shahr, after his sentence was confirmed in the supreme court.
The report said that Sokhanvari was charged with “corruption on earth” for “establishing and managing a wide network of prostitution at the international level that has been attracting Iranian and foreign girls”.
Sokhanvari left Iran in 1983, living in India, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, and the US before authorities captured him overseas and returned him to Iran in 2020, according to Mizan.
The report did not mention the country of detention or the process that led to his arrest.
Condemning the executions, IHR demands Interpol be held accountable for handing Shahrooz Sokhanvari to Iran authorities.
Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “If, as Islamic Republic authorities claim, Interpol was involved in handing over Shahrooz Sokhanvari to Iran, they are complicit in his execution and must be held accountable.”
In a statement published in August 2022, IHR questioned Interpol about its involvement in Sokhanvari’s extradition to Iran which was never answered.
According to the Judiciary’s Mizan news agency, a man was executed in Rajai Shahr on 20 May. His identity has been reported as 40-year-old Shahrooz Sokhanvari who was sentenced to death for charges of efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) for “human trafficking for prostitiution.” He helped sex workers travel abroad for work, per the report.
Shahrooz Sokhanvari was arrested by Interpol in Malaysia in September 2020 and deported to Iran. Iran Human Rights previously questioned Interpol about their role in his deportation.
Shahrooz Sokhanvari’s death sentence by the Tehran Revolutionary Court was reported by a Judiciary spokesperson on 16 August 2022. It is not clear when his sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5929/
https://english.shabtabnews.com/2023/05/20/human-trafficker-hanged-by-iranian-authorities/
20 May 2023 :
(May 20, 2023) - Asif Shahbakhsh executed in Zahedan on May 20
The execution of Asif Shahbakhsh, a convicted of homicide, took place in Zahedan Central Prison. According to a report received by Hengaw, on the early morning of Sunday, May 20, 2023, the execution of Asif Shahbakhsh, a 30-year-old Baloch prisoner from Zahedan, was carried out in the city's central prison.
The haalvsh.org website has reported that Asif Shahbakhsh was arrested three years ago on charges of murder. At the time of this report, the execution of this prisoner had not been officially announced inside Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/a-baloch-national-prisoner-was-executed-in-zahedan-prison
20 May 2023 :
(May 20, 2023) - 3 men executed in Karaj on May 20
Saeed Garavand, Samad Garavand, and Shahab Mansourinesb Garavand
According to a report received by Hangaw, on the early morning of May 20, 2023, the death sentences of Saeed Garavand, Samad Garavand, and Shahab Mansourinesb Garavand, residents of Kouhdasht, were carried out at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj. Following the execution, Hussein Garavand, Shahab's brother, was returned to his cell.
These three prisoners had received death sentences five years ago for their involvement in drug trafficking charges. In preparation for the execution, they were transferred to solitary cells yesterday.
Yesterday, upon learning about the transfer of the three prisoners to solitary confinement, their families and a group of protesters against capital punishment gathered outside Ghezel Hesar Prison, as reported by Hangaw. The situation escalated when government security forces intervened, employing tear gas and batons, leading to a violent dispersal of the gathering. Over ten individuals, including several women, sustained injuries to their heads, faces, limbs, and abdomens.
10 June 2023 :
(May 20, 2023) - Shaban Yousefi executed in Gohardasht on May 20. On June 9 IHR learned that a man was executed in Gohardasht (Rajai Shahr Prison) on 20 May. His identity has been established as 35-year-old Shaban Yousefi. He was sentenced for murder.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran. State media had previously reported the execution of Shahrouz Sokhanvari at the prison that day.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5961/
20 May 2023 :
(May 19, 2023) - Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeed Yaghoubi executed in Isfahan on 19 May.
Accused of a 'political' crime
Mizan, the judiciary news agency, reported the executions of Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeed Yaghoubi in Isfahan Central Prison on the morning of Friday, May 19, 2023.
Three defendants in the “Khaneh e Isfahan” case were executed today, May 19, 2023, for charges of enmity against God (Moharebeh), as reported by Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency.
Despite numerous errors and defects in the legal case, Branch 9 of the Iranian Supreme Court recently upheld their death sentences. The execution took place at Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, disregarding both domestic and international calls to halt the executions. Yesterday, the families of the defendants were allowed brief visitations.
The death sentence was issued by Judge Morteza Barati, who has been involved in several human rights violations cases.
Saleh Mir Hashemi (36), the primary defendant, was sentenced to death for “Moharebeh through using a Colt gun,” “forming and running groups to act against national security,” and “assembly and collusion against national security.” He also received ten years for “membership and collaboration with Monafeghin.”
Majid Kazemi (30) and Saeed Yaghoubi (37) were sentenced to death for “Moharebeh through using warm weapons” and ten years in prison for “forming and running groups to act against national security” and “assembly and collusion against national security.”
Mizan news agency introduced them as “the perpetrators of shooting with Colts and Kalashnikovs and the killing of three members of the security forces with the intention of subversion who had direct contact with the People’s Mojahedin.”
While all the news and statements indicate that these three detainees were innocent, and all their confessions obtained under torture.
The men were forced to make self-incriminating confessions, following beatings, electric shocks, and mock executions, as well as threats to execute and harass their family members and rape the defendants themselves, according to Amnesty.
"I swear to God I am innocent. I didn't have any weapons on me. They [security forces] kept beating me and ordering me to say this weapon is mine. ... I told them I would say whatever they wanted, just please leave my family alone. I did whatever they wanted because of the torture," the human rights monitor transcribed an audio message from Kazemi inside prison.
On May 17, 2023, the families of the three political prisoners called on the people of Isfahan to support them and join them in preventing the execution by protesting in front of Dastgerd prison.
This call received a positive response from the people. People in Ekbatan and Bagheri towns of Tehran protested against the execution of these three political prisoners with slogans of death to the dictator and death to the executioner’s republic. A group of people from Isfahan also went in front of Dastgerd prison in Isfahan in the last hours of Wednesday evening and joined the families of the prisoners.
After this public support, the judicial system officially announced in Mizan News Agency that they will not execute next day.
https://www.en-hrana.org/saleh-mirhashemi-majid-kazemi-and-saeed-yaghoubi-executed/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/the-death-sentences-of-the-khane-isfahan-defendants-were-executed
https://en.iranhrs.org/saleh-mirhashmi-majid-kazemi-and-saeed-yaqoubi-executed/
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/19052023
20 May 2023 :
(19/05/2023) - 4 men executed in Isfahan on May 19
Yaghoub Hassani (Yaqub Hasani), Mazhar Davari, Ali Mehrdel (Mehdel), Kazem Ghofrankhah (Ghafran).
According to information obtained by IHR, four men were executed in Isfahan Central Prison on 19 May. Three were sentenced to death for drug-related charges and one for murder.
The identities of the men executed for drug charges have been established as, Yaghoub Hassani, Mazhar Davari and Ali Mehrdel. They were sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court. Kazem Ghofrankhah was sentenced for murder.
A source previously told IHR: “Kazem Ghafrankhah had three children and had been behind bars for three years. The other three men were all arrested between 2-3 years ago.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
Official sources reported the execution of protesters Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeed Yaghoubi this morning. Therefore, seven people were executed at the prison today.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5926/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/with-the-execution-of-at-least-4-more-prisoners-in-dastgerd-prison-in-isfahan-the-number-of-executed-prisoners-reaches-7
18 May 2023 :
(May 18, 2023) - Mustafa Salehi executed in Sanandaj on May 18, 2023
According to a report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Thursday, May 18, 2023, the death sentence of a Kurdish prisoner named Mustafa Salehi from the Dezli Rural District in the Central District of Sarvabad County was executed in the central prison of Sanandaj.
Mustafa Salehi was arrested three years ago on the charge of murdering his brother-in-law.
On Saturday, May 23, Mustafa Salehi and another prisoner named Jamshid Karimi from Dehgolan were transferred to solitary cells to execute their death sentences. Hengaw has been informed that Jamshid Karimi's sentence has been canceled after obtaining the forgiveness of his victim's parents in exchange for 4 billion tomans.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/in-sanandaj-central-prison-a-prisoner-was-executed
20 May 2023 :
(May 18, 2023) - Official sources have reported the execution of an unnamed man for murder charges in Rajai Shahr Prison.
According to Iran newspaper and Rokna, a man was executed in Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison on 18 May. The unnamed man was sentenced for murder.
Rokna has reported his identity as Saeed, an Afghan national who was arrested four years ago for the murder of a woman during a theft. IHRS has the same news and the same source, but it writes that the man’s name was Masoud.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5927/
https://en.iranhrs.org/sanandaj-jiroft-gohardasht-execution-of-at-least-four-prisoners/
19 May 2023 :
(May 18, 2023) - 4 men executed in Khorramabad on May 18
Ali Khoramshah Amrayi (Amraie, Amrai), Najaf Soleiman Reshad (Rashad), Firouz (Firoz) Yarinejad (Geravand) + Unk
According to information obtained by IHR, 4 men were executed in Khorramabad Central Prison (also Parsilon Prison) on 18 May. The identities of three of the men have been established as Ali Khoramshah Amrayi, Najaf Soleiman Reshad (Afghan) and Firouz Yarinejad (Geravand). The fourth man’s identity has not been established at the time of writing.
A source told IHR: “Ali Khoramshah was behind bars for around four years. He was sentenced for murder. Najaf Soleiman, who was Afghan, had also been on death row for four years and sentenced for murder.”
It is not clear whether Firouz Yarinejad (Geravand) was sentenced for murder, or for drugs.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
Afghans constitute the largest group of non-Iranian execution and death row cases in Iranian prisons. In 2021, no execution of Afghan nationals was recorded until September, when five men were executed in the space of 35 days. On 10 October 2021, IHR expressed its concern that the Taliban takeover in August had facilitated the execution of Afghan nationals. That number more than tripled in 2022, with 16 Afghan nationals including a juvenile offender and a woman executed. At least five Afghans have been executed in 2023.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5919/
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-executed-in-khorramabad-prison/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/the-executions-of-prisoners-in-khurramabad-prison-reached-five
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/statistics-an-afgan-citizens-death-sentence-was-carried-out-in-khoramabad-prison
19 May 2023 :
(May 18, 2023) - Cousins Mostafa and Farhad Vafayi executed in Rasht on May 18
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Rasht Central Prison on 18 May. Their identities have been established as 23-year-old Mostafa Vafayi and 54-year-old Farhad Vafayi.
They were sentenced for murder in the same case.
A source told Iran Human Rights: “Mostafa and Farhad Vafayi were paternal cousins and had been arrested for a murder committed in a group fight.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5921/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/with-the-execution-of-two-prisoners-in-rasht-iran-today-had-14-executions
19 May 2023 :
(May 18, 2023) - Nader Rigi executed in Jiroft on May 18
Nader Rigi, a Baluch man sentenced to death for drug-related charges, was executed in Jiroft Prison.
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in Jiroft Prison on 18 May. His identity has been reported as Nader Rigi (Galeh Bachech) who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
He was transferred for execution the day prior to his execution, per the report. An informed source is quoted as saying: “Nader was arrested for drug charges in Jiroft around three years ago and sentenced to death by the city’s Revolutionary Court.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5923/
19 May 2023 :
(May 18, 2023) - 4 men executed in Kerman on May 18
Hossein Poursheikh (Porsheh), Omid Jan Abadi (Janabadi), Nabiollah Zaboli + Unk.
According to information obtained by IHR, four men were executed in Kerman Central Prison on 18 May for drug-related charges. The identities of three of the men have been established as Hossein Poursheikh, Omid Jan Abadi and Nabiollah Zaboli. The latter two were Baluch minorities. The fourth man’s identity has not been established at the time of writing.
According to Hal Vash which first reported the executions, they were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions on 16 May.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5922/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/at-least-four-prisoners-executed-in-the-kerman-prison
19 May 2023 :
(May 18, 2023) - Jamshid Kaimi executed in Sanandaj on May 18
According to a report received by Hengaw, at 7:30 a.m. on May 18, the sentence of Jamshid Karimi, from Dehgolan and a resident of Sanandaj, condemned on charges of murder, was executed.
It should be mentioned that he was executed despite the fact that his death sentence was canceled after obtaining the victim's family's forgiveness in exchange for 4 billion tomans, and he returned to his cell at 6:30 a.m.
The news of the execution has not yet been reported inside Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/another-prisoner-was-executed-at-sanandaj-central-prison
19 May 2023 :
(May 17, 2023) - Borzu Chaqazardi and Saeed Najafi executed in Kermanshah on May 17
According to the report received by Hengaw, the death sentences of Borzu Chaqazardi, 45 years old, from Mahidasht, and Saeed Najafi, 35 years old, from Sahneh were carried out at dawn on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, in Kermanshah's Dizel Abad prison.
These two prisoners were arrested on the charges of murder, a source told Hengaw.
Hengaw has been informed that Borzu Chaqazardi was married and the father of three children.
The news of the execution of these prisoners has not been announced inside Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/two-kurdish-prisoners-were-executed-in-kermanshah-prison
28 May 2023 :
(May 16, 2023) - Sha’aban Yousefi executed in Gorgan on May 16
HRANA learned on May 26 that on May 16 a man named Sha’aban Yousefi was executed in Gorgan Prison. He was convicted of murder.
As of the time of this report, there have been no official statements or reports from domestic media outlets regarding this execution.
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-gorgan-prison/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/15-prisoners-executed-in-iranian-prisons-during-the-past-week
17 May 2023 :
(May 15, 2023) - 1 man executed in Fereydun Kenar on May 15.
Identified only as M. A.
Official state media have reported the execution of an unnamed man for murder in Fereydun Kenar Prison.
According to IRNA, a man was executed in Fereydun Kenar (Fereydounkenar, Faridounknar) Prison, in Mazandaran province, on 15 May. Sentenced for murder, he has only been identified by the initials M.A.
The report states he was sentenced to death for the murder of his wife and child.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5912/
https://en.iranhrs.org/60-year-old-man-executed-execution-of-at-least-seven-prisoners-in-one-day/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-eight-inmates-carried-out-in-multiple-prisons-across-iran/
17 May 2023 :
(May 15, 2023) - Mohammad Padayar and Peyman Akbari Birgani executed in Khorramabad on May 15
According to the report received by Hengaw, at 6:30 in the morning on Monday, May 15, 2023, Mohammad Paydar and Peyman Akbari Birgani, both from Shushtar, Khuzestan province, were executed in Khorramabad Central Prison.
Hengaw has been informed that, at the same time, the death sentence of Firoz Yarinejad Gravand, from Kohdasht, Lorestan province, has been suspended temporarily. These three prisoners were previously arrested for drug-related crimes.
The news of Mohammad Paydar and Peyman Akbari Birgani's execution has not yet been reported inside Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/two-prisoners-in-khorramabad-prison-were-executed-and-the-execution-of-another-was-suspended
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5913/
16 May 2023 :
(May 15, 2023) - 5 men executed in Bandarabbas and Minab prisons on May 15.
According to ISNA, five men were executed in Bandarabbas Central Prison and Minab Prison in Hormozgan province on 15 May. Official media have not named the men who were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
Hal Vash, which reports news and human rights violations in Sistan and Baluchistan province has identified two of the executed men in Babdar Abbas as 37-year-old Abdolrahman Mousazehi (Abdul Rahman Musa Zahi) from Zahedan and Jalal Rigi (Barahouyi), 34, from Mirjaveh. The two Baloch men were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions on 13 May.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5911/
https://en.iranhrs.org/60-year-old-man-executed-execution-of-at-least-seven-prisoners-in-one-day/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-eight-inmates-carried-out-in-multiple-prisons-across-iran/
17 May 2023 :
(May 10, 2023) - Two unidentified Afghan men were executed for murder charges in Qezel Hesar Prison on 10 May,
According to HRANA news agency, two Afghan men were executed in Qezel Hesar Prison on 10 May. The unidentified men were sentenced for murder.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
IHR already reported the executions of Hossein Panjak, Abdolhossein Emami Moghaddam and Babak Aghayi at the prison that day. This new information increases the number of executions at the prison that day to five.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5914/
https://www.en-hrana.org/execution-of-eight-inmates-carried-out-in-multiple-prisons-across-iran/
15 May 2023 :
(May 14, 2023) - Saeed Arjumandi and Kayumars Menbari (Kiyomarth Manbari) executed in Sanandaj on May 14
According to reports received by Hengaw, the death sentences of two prisoners in Sanandaj Central Prison named Saeed Arjumandi from Khurram Abad and Kayumars Menbari from Kamyaran, both sentenced for murder, were executed.
It should be mentioned that Arjumandi's family was only able to collect 3 billion tomans of the 6 billion tomans that the victim's family demanded to give Saeed Arjumandi's forgiveness. At dawn today, despite the gathering of civil activists in front of the house of the person who was killed by Saeed Arjumandi, his death sentence was executed.
The news of the execution of these two prisoners has not been announced inside Iran.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/two-prisoners-were-executed-at-sanandaj-central-prison
https://en.iranhrs.org/at-least-eight-prisoners-executed-in-two-days-in-iran/
15 May 2023 :
(May 13, 2023) - Amrollah Adish (Shamal Adish), Kambiz Davarpanah (Davrpanah) and four unidentified men have been executed for drug-related charges in Kerman Central Prison.
According to information obtained by IHR, six men were executed in Kerman Central Prison on 13 May. Two of the men have been identified as Amrollah Adish and Kambiz Davarpanah, both from Dehdasht. The identities of the other 4 men have not been established at the time of writing.
All six men were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, this execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5907/
https://en.iranhrs.org/at-least-eight-prisoners-executed-in-two-days-in-iran/
13 May 2023 :
(May 12, 2023) - Hossein Rigi executed in Mashhad on May 12.
According to the Halvash website, the death sentence of a Baluch prisoner called Hossein Rigi, sentenced to death for drug-related crimes, was executed in in Vakil Abad prison in Mashhad on Friday, May 12, 2023. He was 23 years old, was arrested in 2020, and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad on charges of drug-related crimes.
https://en.iranhrs.org/seventy-three-executions-in-22-days-18-prisoners-including-6-women-awaiting-execution/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/the-execution-of-a-baluch-prisoner-in-mashhad-at-least-48-baluch-prisoners-have-been-executed-in-132-days
15 May 2023 :
(May 11, 2023) - Hossein Shabanzadeh executed in Rasht on May 11.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Rasht Central Prison on 11 May. His identity has been established as 60-year-old Hossein Shabanzadeh, who was sentenced for murder.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5908/
10 May 2023 :
(May 10, 2023) - 3 men executed in Karaj on May 10
Hossein Panjak, Abdolhossein Emami Moghaddam and Babak Aghayi
According to information obtained by IHR, three men were executed in Ghezel-Hesar Prison of Karaj on 10 May. Their identities have been established as Hossein Panjak, Abdolhossein Emami Moghaddam and Babak Aghayi, all sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
Their families gathered outside the prison last night in an attempt to save their lives but were met with forces who beat them with batons, bullets and tear gas.
A source told IHR: “One of the families was taken to hospital and is in a serious condition after being beaten. Prison authorities fired bullets in the air and shot paint balls at the families. One of them was hit with a club and was in a bad state when they were transferred to the hospital.”
“Hossein Panjak had a stay of execution, but they carried out his execution without regard to the order,” the source added.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5891/
13 May 2023 :
(May 10, 2023) - Mohammad Saber Payamian executed in Kermanshah on May 10
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Kermanshah Central Prison (Dizel Abad) on 10 May. His identity has been established as 34-year-old Mohammad Saber Payamian, who was sentenced for murder. Informed sources told Iran Human Rights that Mohammad was arrested for murder less than two years ago.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5895/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-prisoner-for-murder-related-charges-in-kermanshah-2/
10 May 2023 :
(May 10, 2023) - 2 unidentified men executed in Arak Prison on May 10. HRANA is working to identify these inmates.
The inmates had previously been convicted of drug-related crimes.
None of the official sources or media outlets inside the country have reported these executions at the time of writing.
https://www.en-hrana.org/five-inmates-executed-in-ghezel-hesar-and-arak-prisons/
12 May 2023 :
(May 10, 2023) - Saber Payamian executed in Kermanshah on May 10
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, on May 10, 2023, a Kurdish prisoner identified as Saber Payamian, age 34, was executed in Dizelabad (Dizel Abad) prison, Kermanshah.
He was reportedly arrested last year for murder. None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country have reported this execution at the time of writing.
Based on the statistics registered by Hengaw, since the beginning of this year (about 130 days), at least 52 Kurdish prisoners have been executed in Iran's prisons.
https://www.en-hrana.org/inmate-executed-in-kermanshah/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/with-the-execution-of-a-prisoner-in-dizel-abad-prison-kermanshah-the-number-of-kurdish-prisoners-executed-in-130-days-reached-52
10 May 2023 :
(May 10, 2023) - Four unidentified men executed in Gohardasht on May 10.
According to IHR and Hengaw, four men were executed in Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison on 10 May. The identities of the men who were all sentenced to death for rape charges have not been established at the time of writing.
A different source, Hrana, wrote something a little different: ‘According to HRANA on May 10, 2023, quoting Rokna, three inmates were executed in Rajai Shahr Prison.
One of the inmates was reportedly convicted of murder three years ago, while the second was involved in a fatal group fight in southern Tehran eight years ago. The third had previously been convicted of rape’.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5892/
https://english.shabtabnews.com/2023/05/10/seven-more-men-hanged-in-iran-amid-execution-spree/
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-executed-in-rajai-shahr-prison/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/at-least-7-prisoners-executed-in-karaj-prisons
13 May 2023 :
(May 09, 2023) - Najmedin Eshaghzehi executed in Semnan on May 9.
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in Semnan Central prison on 9 May. His identity has been reported as 36-year-old Najmedin Eshaghzehi who was arrested around three years ago.
He was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5894/
13 May 2023 :
(May 08, 2023) - Unidentified man executed in Shiraz on May 8
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was secretly executed in Shiraz Central prison on 8 May. The unidentified man was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
Two other Baluch men, Hossein Shahrouzi and Younes Rigi Rakhshani were previously reported to have been executed at the prison that day. This brings the number of executions that day to three.
An informed source was quoted in the report: “His execution took place without his family being informed. His body is still in the Shiraz Forensic Medical Organisation’s building.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5893/
08 May 2023 :
(May 8, 2023) - Yousef Mehrad and Sadrollah Fazeli Zare executed for blasphemy
According to the Judiciary’s Mizan news agency, Yousef Mehrad and Sadrollah Fazeli Zare were executed on 8 May. Yousef Mehrad was sentenced to death for charges of “insulting the prophet” and “insulting religious and Islamic sanctities.” Sadrollah Fazeli Zare’s charges were: “insulting the prophet, apostasy, accusing the prophet’s mother of adultery, desecrating the Quran by burning, insulting the sanctities and publishing private photos without permission.” However, in earlier reports the charges were mainly related to one Telegram channel. Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency, did not announce when the pair were executed but it was known that they were transferred from their cell in Arak prison in preparation for execution, as is customary in Iran.
Iran Human Rights previously reported that Yousef Mehrad, a father of three arrested in May 2020, was held in solitary confinement for two months and denied access to a lawyer or contact with his family for eight months.
The death penalty is used for a wide range of “offences” including consensual sexual relations and blasphemy. In 2013, the Islamic Republic executed Mohsen Amir Aslani for questioning the Quran’s narrative on the life of Prophet Younes in the belly of a whale.
Emphasising the inhumanity of the death penalty, IHR strongly condemns its use against freedom of expression and beliefs, and calls on the international community for an urgent and serious response.
Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “Islamic Republic authorities have once again demonstrated their medieval nature by executing two people for expressing their opinions. Today’s executions should be a turning point for countries with freedom of expression values and their relations with the Islamic Republic. The international community must make it clear that the use of the death penalty against the expression of opinion will not be tolerated. The international community’s failure to make a strong stand will be seen as a green light by the Islamic Republic and other like-minded people. This can seriously jeopardise freedom of expression worldwide.”
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5885/
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202305086605
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-prisoners-of-conscience-executed-in-arak-prison/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/two-prisoners-of-conscience-accused-of-insulting-the-prophet-executed
09 May 2023 :
(May 8, 2023) - Unidentified man executed in Dezful on May 8
An unidentified man sentenced for murder, was executed in Dezful Prison.
According to the Iranian Judiciary’s Mizan news agency, a man was executed in Dezful Prison on 8 May. The executed man has not been named in the report. He is alleged to have killed a policeman on 31 July 2021 per the report.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5888/
08 May 2023 :
(May 8, 2023) - 3 men executed on May 8. Mohammad Ahmadi, Yaser Rakhshani and Yunus Rigi Rakhshani.
25 Baloch prisoners executed in the last 11 days.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Monday, 8 May 2023, the death sentence of Mohammad Ahmadi, a 45-year-old Baloch citizen from Kohnuj, Kerman province, was carried out in Isfahan prison.
According to haalvsh.org, he was arrested 3 years ago on charges related to drugs and sentenced to death by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court in Isfahan.
The same day, the death sentence of Yaser Rakhshani, 29 years old, from Zahedan, was carried out in the prison of this city. He was arrested two years ago and then sentenced to death on charges of intentional murder.
Also on May 8, the death sentence of 37-year-old Yunus Rigi Rakhshani, another Baloch citizen and a resident of Zahedan, was executed in Adel Abad prison in Shiraz. He was also arrested and sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
Based on the statistics registered in the Statistics and Documents Center of Hengaw, at least 25 Baloch citizens, including two women, have been executed in Iran's prisons in the past 11 days.
09 May 2023 :
(May 8, 2023) - Hossein Shahrouzi executed in Shiraz on May 8.
After Younes Rigi Rakhshani, another man was executed in Shiraz Central Prison (Adel Abad prison) on May 8. He has been identified as 38-year-old Hossein Shahrouzi, sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
Informed sources told Iran Human Rights: “Hossein Shahrouzi was arrested for charges of heroin possession around three years ago. Hossein was working in Asaluyeh for three years and was arrested after returning to Jahrom. At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5887/
06 May 2023 :
(May 06, 2023) - Iran executed Swedish-Iranian dissident Habib Chaab for “terrorism” on Saturday, according to the judiciary.
“The death sentence for Habib Chaab... nicknamed Habib Asyud, the head of Harakat Al-Nidal terrorist group... was executed today, Saturday morning,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website reported.
Chaab had been held in Iran since October 2020 after he vanished during a visit to Turkiye and was put on trial in Tehran.
Convicted of “corruption on earth” for heading a rebel group, he was sentenced to death on December 6.
Stockholm has denounced the decision as “inhumane.”
According to Mizan Online, Chaab led Harakat Al-Nidal, or the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz, which Iran considers a “terrorist group” and blames for orchestrating attacks in southwestern Khuzestan.
The oil-rich province is home to a large Arab minority, and its people have long complained of marginalization.
Iranian authorities accused Chaab of staging attacks since 2005 “under the protection of two spy services, including the Mossad and Sapo” — Israeli and Swedish agencies, respectively.
According to the prosecution, other leaders of Harakat Al-Nidal are based in Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, with the group receiving financial and logistical support from Saudi Arabia.
Iran executes more people yearly than any other nation except China, according to rights groups including Amnesty International.
Three dual nationals — including Chaab — have been sentenced to death or executed over security-related charges since the start of the year, according to the judiciary.
In January, Alireza Akbari, a former Iranian official with British citizenship who had been convicted of espionage, was executed.
In April, Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for German-Iranian Jamshid Sharmahd, 67, over his connection with a deadly mosque bombing in 2008.
At least 16 Western passport holders, most of them dual nationals, are currently detained in Iran.
Tehran insists all have gone through a proper judicial process.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2298641/middle-east
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/05/06/Iran-hangs-Swedish-Iranian-over-attack-that-killed-25-people-Reports
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/06052023
https://iranpress.com/content/77000/harakat-al-nidhal-ring-leader-executed-saturday
08 May 2023 :
(May 6, 2023) - Asghar Samiei and Tahmaseb Kavousi executed in Zanjan on May 6. According to IHR, two men were executed in Zanjan Central Prison on 6 May. Their identities have been established as Asghar Samiei and Tahmaseb Kavousi.
They were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court. Informed sources told IHR that they had both been on death row for around three years.
There is no news about the fate of two other prisoners who were transferred for execution along with the men.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5878/
08 May 2023 :
(May 6, 2023) - Salahedin (Salahaddin) Majidi (Dodkanlu) and Abdollah Khan Mohammadi (Abdullah Khanummohammadi) executed in Salmas on May 6.
Two Kurdish prisoners were executed in Salmas Prison on 6 May. Their identities have been established as Salahedin Majidi and Abdollah Khan Mohammadi.
They were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
Informed sources told IHR that they had both been on death row for around three years.
Kamel Dudkanlu, the father of Salahuddin Majidi (Dudkanlu) was also executed in this prison on January 19, 2023. At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5876/
https://en.iranhrs.org/salmas-two-prisoners-accused-of-drug-possession-executed/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/the-death-sentence-of-two-kurdish-prisoners-from-salmas-was-executed-in-the-central-prison-of-this-city
10 May 2023 :
(May 5, 2023) - Mehdi Teimouri executed in Urmia on May 5.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Urmia Central prison on 5 May. His identity has been established as Mehdi Teimouri, who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
IHR previously reported the executions of Faramarz Shakhsi, Davod Mahmoudyar and Behzad Hanifi at the prison that day.
Official sources reported a drug execution in Western Azerbaijan province (and Urmia is in Western Azerbaijan province) that day without naming the executed individual. As such, none of the three men have been named by official sources.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5890/
06 May 2023 :
(5 May, 2023) - Faramarz Shakhsi executed in Urmia on May 5.
Iran executed today prisoner Faramarz Shakhsi for drug-related offences in Orumiyeh Central Prison.
Shakhsi, 29, was a father of two from the village of Nalas in Sardasht, West Azerbaijan province.
He was arrested several years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-prisoner-for-drug-related-charges-in-orumiyeh/
08 May 2023 :
(May 5, 2023) - Names of 4 men executed in Urmia on May 5. The fate of a 5th prisoner, a Turkish Azerbaijani man, arrested on drug-related charges, who was transferred to solitary confinement is still unknown.
IHR and Engaw identified, at different times, 4 men executed at Urmia Jail, Khorramabad on 5 May. They were all sentenced for drugs.
Faramarz Shakhsi was initially identified. Today (May 7) we can add the names of the other 3 men:
Davod Mahmoudyar (Dawud Mahmoudyar), Behzad Hanifi (Behzad Pourhanifi), and Mehdi Teymuri.
Mahmoudyar was a Turkish Azerbaijani from Urmia, Hanifi, from Urmia, was married and father of two, and Mehdi Teymuri was a Turkish Azerbaijani.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5880/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/the-number-of-prisoners-executed-in-urmia-prison-increased-to-four-people
06 May 2023 :
(May 4, 2023) - Edris Gorgij executed in Torbat-e-Jam on May 4
On May 4th, a Baloch prisoner named Edris Gorgij, born in 1992, married, with 5 children, was executed in Torbat-e-Jam prison without informing his family. Edris Gorgij was arrested in 2021 on drug charges.
06 May 2023 :
(May 4, 2023) - According to Hengaw and IHRS, 4 people were executed in Lakan Prison, Rasht, on May 4. HoC had already reported that Jalaleddin Rahimian Azar was hanged in that prison and on that day. Today the sources cited above write that 3 other men were executed together with him, men whose identity or the crimes ascribed are unknown.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/the-execution-of-four-prisoners-including-one-from-mahabad-in-rasht-prison
https://en.iranhrs.org/eight-more-executions-in-dastgerd-prisons-in-isfahan-ardabil-lakan-rasht-and-khorramabad/
06 May 2023 :
(May 4, 2023) - Jalaladdin Rahimian-Azar executed in Rasht on May 4.
Prisoner Jalaladdin Rahimian-Azar, sentenced to death on drug-related charges, was executed in Rasht Central Prison (Lakan Prison) on 4 May.
Rahimian-Azar, 23, from Mahabad, was arrested several years ago and sentenced to death.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/prisoner-executed-for-drug-related-offences-in-irans-rasht/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/the-execution-of-four-prisoners-including-one-from-mahabad-in-rasht-prison
06 May 2023 :
(May 4, 2023) - Hamid Emamizadeh executed in Khorramabad on May 4.
Prisoner Hamid Emamizadeh was executed today for murder in Parsiloun (Parsilon) prison in Khorramabad.
Emamizadeh, 23, who comes from Kuhdasht, was arrested about three years ago.
He was sentenced to death on the charge of murder.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-prisoner-for-murder-related-charges-in-khorramabad/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/the-death-sentence-of-a-kurdish-prisoner-from-kohdasht-carried-out-in-khorramabad
06 May 2023 :
(May 4, 2023) - Habibullah Faghir Dadzehi executed in Isfahan on May 4.
At dawn on Thursday, May 4, 43-year-old Habibullah Faghir Dadzehi (Sakhi), married with 4 children, from Zahedan, was executed in Dastgerd prison of Isfahan on drug charges. He was arrested on this charge in 2020 and sentenced to death.
04 May 2023 :
(May 4, 2023) - 5 men executed in Yazd on May 4.
Saboor Shah-Bakhsh, Amir Rameshk, Abdolbasir Bazhm + 2 non identified
Haal Vsh reports the execution of 5 inmates on May 4, 2023 in Yazd prison.
Among the five executed in Yazd, three have been identified as Saboor Shah-Bakhsh (23), Amir Rameshk (34), and Abdolbasir Bazhm (29). These prisoners were convicted of drug-related crimes in recent years. The identities of the other two inmates remain unknown, but it is reported that one was convicted of drug-related crimes and the other of murder.
https://www.en-hrana.org/seven-inmates-executed-in-yazd-mashhad-and-birjand/
04 May 2023 :
(May 4, 2023) - 2 men executed in Qezelhesar prison, in Karaj, on May 4
Mohammad Ali Bani Ebrahimi and Mehdi Farrokhi
According to the report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, at dawn on Thursday 4 May 2023, at least two prisoners named Mohammad Ali Bani Ebrahimi from Bam and Mehdi Farrokhi from Varamin, who were previously sentenced to death for crimes related to narcotics, were executed in Qezelhesar prison in Karaj.
These two prisons were transferred to solitary confinement together with another prisoner named Behrouz Rahmanirad from Varamin.
The news of the execution of these two prisoners has not been announced in the Iranian state media.
04 May 2023 :
(May 4, 2023) - Nour-Ahmad Zavarzahi executed in Mashhad on May 4.
Nour-Ahmad Zavarzahi from Zahedan was executed in Vakilabad prison, Mashhad. He had been sentenced to death for drug offenses two years ago.
https://www.en-hrana.org/seven-inmates-executed-in-yazd-mashhad-and-birjand/
04 May 2023 :
(May 4, 2023) - Hamed Mousavi executed in Ardabil on May 4
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Ardabil Central Prison on 4 May. His identity has been established 23-year-old Hamed Mousavi, who was sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Hamed Mousavi was transferred to the gallows from the youth ward. He was sentenced to death for the murder of his wife. Hamed had borrowed a hunting rifle from his friend because he loved them. He thought there were no bullets in the rifle and pointed it at his wife as a joke. But there was one bullet left in the rifle which killed his wife.”
“Hamed was arrested three and a half years ago, when he was under 20. He always said: ‘I was in love with my wife, it was joke and I never wanted to lose my wife.’”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5860/
03 May 2023 :
(May 3, 2023) - Saeed Saleh and Hossein Amirabadi executed in Gohardasht on May 3.
According to Rokna, at least two men were executed in Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison on 3 May. Their identities have been reported as Saeed Saleh and Hossein Ghoul who were sentenced to qisas for murder.
A source told Iran Human Rights: “Hossein Amirabadi (pictured) was known as Hossein Ghoul. He was a physical trainer prior to his arrest.”
“Saeed Saleh wasn’t scheduled to be executed. A month ago, he tried to escape prison by digging a hole in the wall of Hall 36. That’s why they brought his execution forward.”
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5857/
03 May 2023 :
(May 3, 2023) - Hassan Zarei and Lal Mohammad Shirzayi Barahouyi executed in Minab on May 3.
In the last five days, 13 Baluch people have been executed in six prisons.
According to Hal Vash, two Baluch men were executed in Minab Prison on 3 May. Their identities have been reported as Lal Mohammad Shirzayi Barahouyi and Hassan Zarei who were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Courts.
Lal Mohammad Shirzayi Barahouyi was 43 and a Baluch father of two children. He was a Zahedan native but resided in Galikesh.
A source quoted in the report, said: “Lal Mohammad was arrested in Minab three years ago and sentenced to death by the Minab Revolutionary Court. He was his family’s breadwinner. His brother Mahmood Shirzayi Barahouyi was executed for drug charges in Gonbad prison six years ago. Hassan was arrested for drug charges in Minab as well. He was sentenced to death by the Minab Revolutionary Court a year after his arrest.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5856/
09 May 2023 :
(May 3, 2023) - Names of 2 of the 3 unidentified men executed in Gohardasht on May 3. the news was reported on May 8 by IHR. According to Rokna, at least two men were executed in Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison on 3 May. They have been named as 47-year-old Sirous (surname unknown) and a young man named Behzad who were both sentenced for murder.
Sirous is alleged to have killed several family members in Tehran around five years ago. Behzad was accused of committing murder during a mass street fight.
Iran Human Rights reported the executions of Saeed Saleh and Hossein Amirabadi at the prison that day. The four men were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions along with a fifth man whose fate is still unknown.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5884/
04 May 2023 :
(May 3, 2023) - 3 men executed in Rajai Shahr prison on May 3. Not identified.
Etemad newspaper reported that 5 men were executed in Gohardasht Central Prison, aka Rajai Shahr Prison.
2 of the executions had already been reported by other sources (Saeed Saleh Bidmeshki and Hossein Amirabadi). The names of the other 3 executed are not known. 2 had been convicted of murder, the crime of the third is unknown.
https://www.en-hrana.org/five-inmates-executed-in-rajai-shahr-prison-2/
03 May 2023 :
(May 3, 2023) - Hanif Khosravi executed in Neishabur on May 3.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Neishabur Prison on 3 May. His identity has been established as Hanif Khosravi who was sentenced for murder.
A source told Iran Human Rights: “Hanif Khosravi was arrested for charges of killing someone during a group fight three years ago. The victim’s family were going to forgo execution three months ago but changed their mind and requested his execution.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5854/
03 May 2023 :
(May 3, 2023) - Shahin Firouzkouhi and Ali Daftari executed in Qazvin on May 3.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Qazvin Central Prison on 3 May. Their identities have been established as Shahin Firouzkouhi who were both sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Courts.
A source said: “Shahin Firouzkouhi had been behind bars for around four years and had one child. Ali Daftar was from Sari and had also been in prison for four years”. At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5855/
21 May 2023 :
(May 3, 2023) - Abdolhossein Emamizadeh executed on May 3 in Gohardasht
According to information IHR obtained on May 20, a man was executed in Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison on 3 May. His identity has been established as Abdolhossein Emamizadeh, sentenced for drug-related charges.
He was arrested around three years ago and transferred from Qezel Hesar Prison to Rajai Shahr Prison on 1 May for execution, per informed sources.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported inside Iran.
Iran Human Rights previously reported the executions of Saeed Saleh, Hossein Amirabadi and two unidentified men at the prison that day. The execution of Abdolhossein Emamizadeh now brings the number of executions to five that day.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5931/
08 May 2023 :
(May 2, 2023) - Mohammad Malek Dadzahi (Rigi) executed in Mashhad on May 2
On May 2, 2023 a Baloch prisoner named Mohammad Malek Dadzahi (Rigi) was executed in Vakil Abad prison of Mashhad on drug-related charges. Mohammad Malek Dadzahi, 31 years old, married, had three young children.
https://en.iranhrs.org/fourteen-prisoners-executed-in-a-single-day/
03 May 2023 :
(May 2, 2023) - Mousa and Ehsan Gorgij executed in Bandarabbas on May 2
In the last four days, 12 Baluch people have been executed in five prisons.
According to Hal Vash, two Baluch men were executed in Bandarabbas Central Prison on 2 May. Their identities have been reported as 55-year-old Mousa Gorgij (Musa Gargij) and 30-year-old Ehsan Gorgij (Gargij), both from the Barahouyi tribe in Zahedan, and sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
A source quoted in the report, said: “Mousa and Ehsan were arrested in Bandarabbas around 3 years ago and sentenced to death by the Bandarabbas Revolutionary Court in the spring of 2022.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported inside Iran.
In the last four days, at least 12 Baluch men and women have been executed in Zahedan, Birjand, Mashhad, Bandarabbas and Iranshahr prisons.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5852/
03 May 2023 :
(May 1, 2023) - Aminollah Karimi Ghaljayi (Aminullah Karimi Qoljaei) executed in Mashhad on May 1.
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was sentenced to death for drug-related charge sin Mashhad Central Prison (Vakil Abad) on 1 May. His identity has been reported as 40-year-old Aminollah Karimi Ghaljayi, who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Courts.
A source quoted in the report, said: “Aminollah was arrested with his wife in Mashhad on 8 July 2020. The Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death and his wife to 10 years imprisonment.”
At the time of writing, his executions has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5851/
https://en.iranhrs.org/four-other-baloch-prisoners-executed-in-birjand-and-vakilabad-prisons-of-mashhad/
06 May 2023 :
(May 1, 2023) - Hossein Vahedi Rigi executed in Vakil Abad prison of Mashhad on May 1.
On May 1, 2023, Hossein Vahedi Rigi, 38 years old, father of one daughter, from Zahedan and resident of Mashhad, was executed in Vakil Abad prison of Mashhad. His charge was related to drugs. His execution was done without informing his family and the last visit.
It is said that his execution was in revenge for the murder of Saravan’s police chief Colonel Shahraki.
https://en.iranhrs.org/yazd-and-mashhad-six-more-prisoners-executed/
06 May 2023 :
(April 30, 2023) - Jaber Aminifar executed in Birjand on April 30.
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in Birjand Central Prison on 30 April. His identity has been reported as Jaber Aminifar from the village of Shoghalak, who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Courts.
IHR already reported 3 other executions occurred the same day in the same prison, those of Abdullah Zarouzehi and co-defendants Mohammad Shibak and Madineh Sabzevan.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5862/
04 May 2023 :
(April 30, 2023) - Feizollah Kavandi executed in Isfahan on April 30. Four other executions were postponed.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Isfahan Central Prison on 30 April. His identity has been established as Feizollah Kavandi, who was sentenced for murder.
Feizollah Kavandi was transferred from Najaf Abad Prison along with four others for execution at Isfahan Central Prison a few days ago. The other four prisoners who are also on death row for murder, were transferred to Ward 4 of the prison after the postponement of their executions.
At the time of writing, Feizollah Kavandi’s execution has not been reported inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5861/
01 May 2023 :
(April 30, 2023) - Gul Mohammad Naroi (also Golmohammed Naravii) executed in Zahedan on April 30.
According to the report received by the Hengaw, on Sunday, 30 April 2023, the death sentence of Gul Mohammad Naroi (Aidok), a resident of Zahedan, was carried out in the central prison of this city.
Golmohammed Naravii, 31 years old and married, was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to death on charges of murder.
29 May 2023 :
(April 30, 2023) - 1 woman, 2 men executed in Birjand on April 30
All three were Baloch prisoners, and sentenced for drug related crimes. Their names were Mrs. Madina Sabzevan, Abdullah Zarouzhi (Zahrozai), Mohammad Shibak.
Madina (Madineh) Sabzevan (Sabzwan), was 39 and the mother of 5 children. Her execution brings the number of women executed in Iran from 2007 to the present to 211. She was from the Shibek tribe and lived in Shirabad district of Zahedan. She was reportedly a close relative of another executed prisoner, Mohammad Shibak.
Mohammad Shibak, 33 (or 27) years old, was a resident of the Karim Abad area of Zahedan – the capital of Iranian-Occupied Balochistan. He was married and a father of four. A source quoted in the report, said: “Mohammad was arrested for drug charges at a check point with another person in South Khorasan province three years ago. He was sentenced to death by the Birjand Revolutionary Court and his sentence was carried out today without his family being notified and last family visit.”
47-year-old Abdullah Zahrozahi, son of Zawan Khan, was a resident of Malik village in Zadul district of Balochistan.
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/05/03/executions-of-women-in-iran/
https://balochwarna.com/2023/05/03/balochistan-silent-executions-continue-as-iran-executes-one-baloch-every-six-hours/
https://en.iranhrs.org/four-other-baloch-prisoners-executed-in-birjand-and-vakilabad-prisons-of-mashhad/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/two-baloch-prisoners-including-a-woman-executed-in-zahedan-six-baloch-prisoners-were-executed-in-48-hours
https://hana-hr.org/content/2023055-execution-of-at-least-21-baloch-citizens-within-five-days-in-the-prisons-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran
01 May 2023 :
(April 29, 2023) - 2 men executed in Zahedan on April 29.
Nematollah Rigi Ladiz (known as Abdollah Roudini or Abdul Hamid Rudini) and Abdolsattar Shahuzehi (Abdul Sattar Shahouzahi).
According to Hal Vash, two Baluch men were executed in Zahedan Central Prison on April 29.
They were identified as 48-year-old Nematollah Rigi Ladiz (known as Abdollah Roudini or Abdul Hamid Rudini) and Abdolsattar Shahuzehi who were sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
Nematollah Rigi Ladiz, a Zahedan native, had six children and had been arrested around five years ago.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5841/
https://en.iranhrs.org/at-least-two-baloch-prisoners-accused-of-drugs-and-murder-executed/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/two-baloch-prisoners-including-a-woman-executed-in-zahedan-six-baloch-prisoners-were-executed-in-48-hours
01 May 2023 :
(April 29, 2023) - Mahmoud Rahmani executed in Iranshahr on April 29
Rahmani, a Baluch man, (pictured) was arrested around 12 years ago for murder.
Ethnic minorities, the Baluch in particular, are grossly overrepresented in execution numbers in Iran. In 2022, at least 174 Baluch minorities including 3 women, were executed in 22 prisons across Iran, making up 30% of overall executions. This is while they represent just 2-6% of Iran’s population.
Baluch minorities also represented almost half of drug-related executions in 2022. 47.3% of the 256 people executed for drug-related charges were Baluch.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5841/
https://en.iranhrs.org/at-least-two-baloch-prisoners-accused-of-drugs-and-murder-executed/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/05/two-baloch-prisoners-including-a-woman-executed-in-zahedan-six-baloch-prisoners-were-executed-in-48-hours
01 May 2023 :
(April 29, 2023) - Unidentified woman executed in Zahedan on April 29.
The death sentence of a female prisoner from Zahedan was carried out in the central prison of this city. According to the report, the identity of this woman has not been established yet.
01 May 2023 :
(April 29, 2023) - Baloch Eid Mohammad Shadman executed on April 29.
It is not clear whether in Iranshahr or Zahedan prison.
01 May 2023 :
(April 24, 2023) - Ahmad Nikouyi (Nikoui) executed in Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison on April 24.
Though Iranian law proscribes stoning for adultery, a punishment last carried out in 2010 after international pressure raised the political cost of its use. Those sentenced to stoning are secretly executed by hanging instead.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison on April 24. His identity has been established as 37-year-old Ahmad Nikouyi who was sentenced to death for adultery.
An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Ahmad Nikouyi was sentenced to death for charges of having sexual relations with a married woman. He was transferred to the gallows from Ward 7 of Karaj Prison.”
No information is available about the married woman in the case. At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5842/
https://en.iranhrs.org/gohardasht-and-karaj-central-prison-at-least-two-male-prisoners-executed/
01 May 2023 :
(April 24, 2023) - Mohammad Chahargosheh executed in Gohardasht on April 24.
According to IHRS, Mohammad Chahargosheh, executed in the central prison of Gohardasht (also known as Rajai Shahr prison). He was accused of committing murder in a street brawl 7 years ago.
Chahargosheh had previously transferred to solitary confinement and tortured in connection with taking a video of the execution scene of prisoners in Gohardasht prison’s execution hall.
This film sent and published in 2019 for Javanehha.com (now IHRS). In that year, it was written in the title of this movie: Behind the scenes of the execution of 5 prisoners in Gohardasht prison
https://en.iranhrs.org/gohardasht-and-karaj-central-prison-at-least-two-male-prisoners-executed/
08 April 2023 :
(April 5, 2023) - 3 men executed in Shiraz on April 5.
Yousef Juma (Youssef Jumeh, Jome’eh) Hosseini, Kazem Rasouli, and Ali Hossein Sadeghzadeh
Youssef Jumeh Hosseini. According to the report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, at dawn on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, the death sentence of three citizens, named Yousef Juma Hosseini, an Afghan national, Kazem Rasouli, and Ali Hossein Sadeghzadeh, was carried in the central prison of Shiraz. These three prisoners have been in prison for about three years and have been sentenced to death by the Iranian judiciary on charges of drug-related crimes.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/04/the-death-sentence-of-at-least-five-prisoners-including-a-woman-and-an-afghan-citizen-carried-out-in-iran
https://en.iranhrs.org/701-executions-by-the-government-of-velayat-al-faqih-in-the-last-year-of-1401-in-iran/
https://www.en-hrana.org/five-inmates-executed-in-adelabad-and-dastgerd-prisons/
08 April 2023 :
(April 4, 2023) - Haroddin (Horeddin) Shokri executed in Qom Central Prison (Langroud) on April 4.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Qom Central Prison on April 4. His identity has been established as 37-year-old Haroddin Shokri who was sentenced to qisas for murder.
A source told IHR: “Haroddin Shokri was arrested for murder during a group fight around four years ago and sentenced to death. He was from the Shahoun tribe in the village of Ahmad Abad (Shahjerd) in Qom.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5805/
https://www.en-hrana.org/inmate-executed-in-langerud-prison-qom-province/
08 April 2023 :
(March 28, 2023) - 1 woman and 1 man executed on March 28 in Isfahan
Maryam Najjar and Hassan Bahmani
On the morning of March 28, 2023, the death sentence of two prisoners, including a woman named Maryam Najjar and Hassan Bahmani, was carried for the charge of premeditated murder in Isfahan's Dastgerd prison.
Hassan Bahmani was arrested 4 years ago on charges of murder and Maryam Najjar was arrested three years ago on charges of murdering her husband and was transferred from Najaf Abad prison to Isfahan Central prison to serve the sentence.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/04/the-death-sentence-of-at-least-five-prisoners-including-a-woman-and-an-afghan-citizen-carried-out-in-iran
https://en.iranhrs.org/701-executions-by-the-government-of-velayat-al-faqih-in-the-last-year-of-1401-in-iran/
https://www.en-hrana.org/five-inmates-executed-in-adelabad-and-dastgerd-prisons/
17 March 2023 :
(March 17, 2023) - 5 men and 1 woman executed in Urmia on March 17.
The death sentences of at least 6 Kurdish prisoners named Forohar Abbasnejad (Ashir Abbasnejad), Mohammad Ayoubian, Jahanbakhsh Radloui (Radlouyi), Hassan Omari, Nasim Niazi, and Yasin Rashidi were carried out in Urmia Central Prison. According to IHR, the executions happened on March 16.
According to the report received by Hengaw, in the early hours of the morning of Friday, March 17, 2023, the death sentences of at least 5 prisoners from Urmia, named Forohar Abbasnejad, 40 years old, Mohammad Ayoubian, 37 years old, Jahanbakhsh Radloui, Hassan Omari, and Yasin Rashidi, all sentenced for drug-related charges, were carried out in Urmia Central Prison.
The same day, the death sentence of a prisoner named Nasrin Niazi (Nasim), who was transferred from the women's prison to solitary confinement, was carried out. There is no information available about the case and charges against this prisoner. Sources from the women's prison have told Hengaw that this prisoner has been sentenced to death on charges of "spying for Israel", which Hengaw does not independently confirm so far.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/03/the-death-sentences-of-at-least-6-kurdish-prisoners-including-a-woman-carried-out-at-urmia-central-prison
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5781/
18 March 2023 :
(March 17, 2023) - Mohiyedin Ebrahimi executed in Urmia on March 17
Kurdish political prisoner, Mohiyedin Ebrahimi was executed in Urmia Central Prison.
Iran Human Rights strongly condemns Mohiyedin Ebrahimi’s execution and current execution wave. Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “Mohiyedin Ebrahimi was sentenced to death without due process and fair trial rights by the Revolutionary Court and his execution is a violation of national and international law. Like more than 140 people executed in 2023 so far, Mohiyedin was one of the low-cost victims of the Islamic Republic’s execution machine, the sole purpose of which is to terrorise society and prevent protests. Ali Khamenei and the judiciary under his command must be held accountable for these crimes.”
“The international community must react to the wave of arbitrary executions in Iran. Their silence is a green light for the continuation of the executions,” he added.
43-year-old Mohiyedin Ebrahimi was arrested by IRGC forces on 3 November 2017. He was shot in the leg at the time of arrest. He was sentenced to death on charges of baghy (armed rebellion) through membership of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran by Branch Two of the Urmia Revolutionary Court in October 2018 which was overturned by Branch 16 of the Supreme Court. However, he was re-sentenced to death by the same Revolutionary Court branch.
His three lawyers, Messrs Muzayen, Alizadeh and Tataei stress that Mohiyedin Ebrahimi was working as a kolbar due to poverty and unemployment and that he should not be charged with carrying weapons or anti-government armed operations.
Full text of Mohiyedin Ebrahimi's letter to Iran Human Rights:
To the honourable Iran Human Rights Directorate,
I, Mohiyedin Ebrahimi, son of Mohammad, write to you as a prisoner in the political ward of Urmia Central Prison. I was sentenced to death by Branch Two of the Urmia Revolutionary Court on the false and trumped up charges of carrying a weapon and contacting and collaborating with the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), presided over by Judge Ali Sheikhlu. I have been under the unjust death sentence for five years and two months. I have filed several appeals and requests for due process rights from the Supreme Court and Head of Judiciary. Unfortunately, I’ve never received a response due to the influence of the IRGC Intelligence Organisation and their refusal to send the documents to the aforementioned authorities.
I support twelve people in my family in Oshnavieh and have been working as a kolbar (human mules who carry goods across border) for several years. On 17 November 2017, I was crossing the border from the Kurdistan region in Iraq with two horses and four carts in the dark of the night. Several other people were walking a few hundred metres ahead of me when border forces started shooting at them and they started running. The border forces shot at me as well and hit me on the leg, causing great injury. Two horses and four cartons of alcoholic beer were discovered and confiscated from me and I had to be transferred to the hospital. I was transferred to Oshnavieh by the border forces and after spending several days in hospital, I was transferred to the IRGC Intelligence Organisation’s detention centre. In their custody, I was faced with false and unbelievable accusations. While according to the border forces, I only had four cartons.
In addition to being in possession of alcohol, I was also accused of being in possession of weapons while in IRGC custody, and was also accused of contacting and collaborating with the KDPI, without any evidence or reason.
The judicial officer of the IRGC Intelligence Organisation claimed that I had a political rap sheet to mislead the proceedings while this is completely false, I had previously only been detained for a few days. The officer also stated that my brother was a member of the KDPI who’d been killed. This is also a lie to mislead the proceedings, my brother was a kolbar who was killed by border forces. At his funeral, even the Oshnavieh border commander came to pay his respects to my brother. The judicial officer repeatedly falsely stated that my father was also a member of the KDPI and that he was killed shortly after the revolution. My father was killed in those days due to tribal differences with Iraqi Kurds which had nothing to do with politics.
And all the false and fabricated accusations were to mislead fair legal proceedings, that’s why my case was tried by Branch 2 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court presided over by Judge Ali Sheikhlu.
Considering that this individual has a terrible track record and was previously fired from the Judiciary due to financial corruption, he is not qualified to be a judge. Under the orders of security agencies, he issued the sentence and even before sentencing, my family received threatening messages from the judiciary’s agents. But due to my innocence, my family refused to pay their ransom, which led to my death sentence by this man.
It has been five years since I was sentenced to the cruel sentence of death, and on the other hand, I am in a dire financial situation as I’m the breadwinner for a family of 12. I have a physically disabled child, my family have had to survive without any work or income throughout these years, they’ve endured a lot of pain and hardships. Despite my family’s best efforts in pursuit of my human and civil rights, I did not have due process or a fair trial.I have filed several appeals and requests for due process rights from the Supreme Court and Head of Judiciary. Unfortunately, I’ve never received a response due to the influence of the IRGC Intelligence Organisation and their refusal to send the documents to the aforementioned authorities. I am desperately plea to Iran Human Rights to help my family and I to stop my unjust execution to be carried out based on false and unfounded charges.
With kind regards.
Mohiyedin Ebrahimi, son of Mohammad
Urmia Central Prison
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5782/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/special-report-mohyeddin-ebrahimis-arrest-trial-execution/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/03/muhyaddin-ebrahimi-a-kurdish-political-prisoner-was-secretly-executed-in-urmia-prison
https://iranwire.com/en/prisoners/114859-six-people-reportedly-executed-in-irans-west-azerbaijan/#:~:text=The%20Harana%20human%20rights%20website,punishment%20on%20drug%2Drelated%20charges.
21 March 2023 :
(March 17, 2023) - Not identified man executed in Khorramabad on March 17.
According to Rokna, on March 17, 2023 a prisoner with an unknown identity was executed in Khorramabad Central Prison. He was accused of killing a police agent named Rahman Pourdehghan in December 2022.
https://en.iranhrs.org/increasing-one-day-executions-to-eight-prisoners-in-iran/
15 March 2023 :
(March 12, 2023) - Salman Momeni executed in Arak on March 12.
According to reports obtained by HRANA, on March 12, 2023, an inmate identified as Salman Momeni was executed in Arak Prison, Markazi Province.
A source told HRANA, “Momeni was executed without having last family visitation.”
None of the media inside the country has reported this execution at the time of writing.
https://www.en-hrana.org/inmate-executed-in-arak-prison/
14 March 2023 :
(March 12, 2023) - Ali Mekhan Seyfi executed in Kermanshah on March 12
Iran executed prisoner Ali Mekhan Seyfi (Ali Makhan Seifi, Ali Mokhan Seifi), who was previously sentenced to death on the charge of “premeditated murder”, at Dizel Abad Prison in Kermanshah on 12 March.
Seyfi, 35, was sentenced to death for “murdering his wife” about two years ago. He was a father of two and came from the village of Mesgareh in Kermanshah.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-prisoner-for-murder-related-charges-in-kermanshah/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/03/execution-of-a-prisoner-in-diesel-abad-prison
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5774/
14 March 2023 :
(March 12, 2023) - 2 men executed in Shiraz on March 12.
Tohid Ramezani, Nabi Langrani
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Shiraz Central Prison on March 12. Their identities have been established as Tohid Ramezani and 40-year-old Nabi Langrani who were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
A source told IHR: “Tohid Ramezani was arrested around three years ago and sentenced to death. Nabi Langrani was a father and arrested around two years ago.”
At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5775/
14 March 2023 :
(March 11, 2023) - 4 men executed in Khorramabad on March 11.
Zafar Hadipour, Nader Ebrahimpour, Younes Koulemrazi + Unk.
According to information obtained by IHR, four men were executed in Khorramabad Central Prison (Parsilion) on March 11. Three of the men’s identities have been established as Zafar Hadipour, Nader Ebrahimpour and Younes Koulemrazi who were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
Human Rights in Iran website which first reported the executions quoted an informed source as saying: “Nader Ebrahimpour was arrested for being in possession of 10 kg of heroin in Khorramabad over three years ago.”
The fourth man’s identity has not been established at the time of writing.
At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5776/
14 March 2023 :
(March 10, 2023) - Hossein Pourfayaz executed in Urmia on March 10.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Urmia Central Prison on March 10. His identity has been established as Hossein Pourfayaz, who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
A source told IHR: “Pourfayaz was arrested for drug-related charges around five years ago and sentenced to death.
Iran Human Rights previously reported the execution of Saleh Ghassemi and Mansour Abdizadeh on that day at the prison.
At the time of writing, none of their executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5772/
11 March 2023 :
(March 10, 2023) - 4 men executed in Urmia on March 10
Sardar Jalalifar (Jalal Sardari-Fard), Saleh Ghassemi (Ghasemi), Mansour Abdizadeh + Unk
Iran executed today at least four prisoners previously sentenced to death on drug-related charges at Orumiyeh Central Prison, KHRN has learned.
Three of the executed prisoners were Sardar Jalalifar (Jalal Sardari-Fard ) from Naqadeh, Saleh Ghassemi (Ghasemi) from the village of Zindasht in Salmas, and Mansour Abdizadeh, from the village of Haftevan in Salmas.
The identity of the fourth prisoner remains unknown.
The four prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement on 7 March.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-four-prisoners-for-drug-charges-in-orumiyeh/
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-executed-in-urmia/
14 March 2023 :
(March 10, 2023) - Ahmad Bajizehi executed in Shiraz on March 10.
On March 10, a Baluch man was executed in Shiraz Central Prison. His identity has been established as Ahmad Bajizehi, 38, who was arrested for drug-related charges around four years ago.
At the time of writing, the execution is not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5775/
12 March 2023 :
(March 9, 2023) - Jalal Sardari Far executed in Urmia on March 9
According to IHRS, on Thursday, March 9, 2023, a prisoner named Jalal Sardari Far, from Naqdeh, was executed in Urmia Central Prison on drug charges.
https://en.iranhrs.org/five-drug-related-prisoners-executed-in-central-prison-of-urmia/
08 March 2023 :
(March 7, 2023) - Meisham Bahram and Shah Bakhsh (Mahmoud) Ostadi executed in Bandar Abbas on March 7.
According to the report published by HaalVsh, on Tuesday, March 7, at least 2 drug-related prisoners executed in Bandar Abbas Central Prison.
Meisham Bahram, married and the father of two children, was a resident of Hashtbandi Minab. He was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to death on charges related to drugs.
Also, another prisoner named Shah Bakhsh (Mahmoud) Ostadi, 46 years old, married with two children, from the city of Fanuj, was executed on the same day for drug charges.
Shah Bakhsh Ostadi was also arrested in 2019.
Arak and Bandar Abbas Eight prisoners executed - Iran HRS
08 March 2023 :
(March 6, 2023) - 3 men executed in Bandar Abbas on March 6.
Hamid Shahouzahi, Bahram Behzadi and Mohammad Amin Javashiri.
On March 6, 2023, in Bandar Abbas prison, three Baloch prisoners, accused of narcotics, named Hamid Shahouzahi, Bahram Behzadi and Mohammad Amin Javashiri, 30, were executed.
Within a day, 7 prisoners executed in Bandar Abbas and Khorramabad prisons - Iran HRS
Arak and Bandar Abbas Eight prisoners executed - Iran HRS
08 March 2023 :
(March 6, 2023) - Four men executed in Khorramabad on March 6.
Ayat Aliari, Sohrab Sourilaki, Hassan Joudaki and … Akram.
According to information obtained by IHR, four men were executed in Khorramabad Central Prison (Parsilon) on March 6. Their identities have been established as 31-year-old Ayat Aliari (Ayat Ali Yari),36-year-old Sohrab Sourilaki (Sohrab Soori, Sohrab Suri Laki), Hassan Joudaki (Joodaki, Akram Jodaki) and a fourth man only identified as Mr Akram.
They were all sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by media inside Iran.
Iran Human Rights | Article: Four Men Executed for Drug Charges in Khorramabad | (iranhr.net)
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-execute-in-khorramabad-prison/
Within a day, 7 prisoners executed in Bandar Abbas and Khorramabad prisons - Iran HRS
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/03/the-death-sentence-of-three-kurdish-prisoners-was-carried-out-in-khorram-abad-prison
08 March 2023 :
(March 5, 2023) - Kiumars (Kiyomarth) Zarghami executed in Saqqez Central Prison on March 5.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Saqqez Central Prison on March 5. His identity has been established as Kiumars Zarghami who was sentenced for murder.
An informed source told IHR: “Kiumars Zarghami was from Divandareh and lived in Saqqez. He was arrested in May 2021 on the charge of murdering his fiancé.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by media inside Iran.
Iran Human Rights | Article: Kuimars Zarghami Executed for Murder in Saqqez | (iranhr.net)
https://en.iranhrs.org/saqqez-a-prisoner-executed/
03 March 2023 :
(March 2, 2023) - Ghorban Ghorbanpour executed in Rasht on March 2.
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Rasht Central Prison on March 2. His identity has been established as Ghorban Ghorbanpour, who was sentenced for murder.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5758/
04 March 2023 :
(March 1, 2023) - On March 1, 2023, Hengaw News website reported that a prisoner named Mohammad Dosti Nejad executed in Hamadan Central Prison on drug charges.
Mohammad Dosti Nejad 29 years old, and his sentence changed from execution to life imprisonment. But the judicial authorities again changed his sentence to death due to protests inside the prison and executed him on Wednesday.
https://en.iranhrs.org/in-rasht-zahedan-shiraz-and-hamadan-seven-prisoners-executed/
03 March 2023 :
(March 1, 2023) - Mansour Saeedi, Asghar Khosh Sima and Abbas Homavar executed in Shiraz on March 1.
According to information obtained by IHR, three men were executed in Shiraz Central Prison on March 1. Their identities have been established as Mansour Saeedi, Asghar Khosh Sima and Abbas Homavar. They were sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “Mansour Saeedi and Asghar Khosh Sima were arrested in the same case three years ago. Abbas Homavar was behind bars for around four years.”
They were taken to the gallows after last visits with their families.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5752/
02 March 2023 :
(March 1, 2023) - Ali Doudkanlu (Doudkanlou) executed in Urmia on March 1
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Urmia Central Prison on March 1. His identity has been established as Ali Doudkanlu, from Salmas. He was sentenced for murder.
Ali was transferred for execution along with two other prisoners named Jalal Taheri and Ramin Shirzadi who were returned to their cells after obtaining extensions in their respective cases.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5750/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/prisoner-executed-over-murder-related-charges-in-irans-orumiyeh/
02 March 2023 :
(February 28, 2023) - Khosro Mohammadi executed in Zahedan on February 28
Rasank News reported the execution of an inmate identified as Khosro Mohammadi, a resident of Shiraz, in Zahedan Prison on February 28. Four years ago, he was arrested for drug-related crimes.
None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported this execution at the time of writing.
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-bandar-abbas-and-zahedan/
01 March 2023 :
(February 28, 2023) - 2 men executed in Karaj on February 28.
Mohammad Safari + unk.
According to HRANA, on February 28, 2023, two inmates convicted of drug-related crimes were executed in the Central Prison of Karaj. HRANA has identified one of them as Mohammad Safari.
None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported the executions at the time of writing.
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-karaj-hamedan-and-urmia/
01 March 2023 :
(February 28, 2023) - 1 man executed in Hamedan on February 28.
An unidentified inmate was executed in Hamedan Prison on February 28 for drug-related crimes. None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported the execution at the time of writing.
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-karaj-hamedan-and-urmia/
01 March 2023 :
(February 28, 2023) - 3 men executed in Kermanshah on February 28
Kayumars Sadqpour + 2 unk
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, at least three prisoners were executed in the central prison of Kermanshah.
Hengaw has been informed that the death sentence of these three prisoners, sentenced for drug-related crimes, was carried out secretly and without the knowledge of their lawyers and their families, and their families were deprived of the right to see their children for the last time.
One of these prisoners, 47-year-old Kayumars Sadqpour, is a resident of Kerend-e Gharb, the capital of Dalahu County, Kermanshah Province, and has been in prison for 11 years.
The identities of the other two prisoners, who were from Kermanshah, have not been verified by Hengaw, and Hengaw's investigation continues to verify the identities of these two executed prisoners.
The news of the execution of these three prisoners has not been announced in the government media or by the judiciary.
02 March 2023 :
(February 28, 2023) - Maziar Soltanzadeh (Sultanzadeh, Soltan Zadeh) and Mohammad Safari (also Hamid Safari) executed in Karaj on February 28.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Karaj Penitentiary on February 28. Their names have been established as Maziar Soltanzadeh and Mohammad Safari. They were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Maziar Soltanzadeh was from the Azimieh neighbourhood of Karaj and had been arrested for charges of carrying 14 kilograms of narcotics over four years ago. He was one of the prisoners injured by prison officers and transferred to solitary cell after the December 17, 2022 riot in Karaj Central Prison.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5749/
https://en.iranhrs.org/father-of-four-children-was-executed/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/03/two-prisoners-were-executed-in-karaj-central-prison
01 March 2023 :
(February 28, 2023) - Ali Milan executed in Urmia on February 28
An inmate identified as Ali Milan was executed in Urmia Prison. He and two other death-row inmates, Ramin Shirzad and Jalal Taheri had been transferred to solitary confinement. Prison officials, however, did not carry out the execution of the latter two prisoners.
None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported the execution at the time of writing.
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-karaj-hamedan-and-urmia/
28 February 2023 :
(February 27, 2023) - Hadi Arbabi and Mohammed Ishaq Gergij executed in Zahedan on February 27
At least two Baloch prisoners were executed in Zahedan prison. According to Haalvsh, the names of these prisoners were Hadi Arbabi (Gergij), son of Ahmad, and Mohammed Ishaq Gergij, son of Khodarahm, both from Zahedan.
According to the same site: “Hadi Arbabi and Mohammad Ishaq were arrested in 2018 along with several members of military and Basiji forces, including the commander of the Nomadic Security Corps. They were accused of drugs. But all the soldiers were acquitted by the judicial system and returned to their jobs. These two Baloch citizens, who were arrested two months earlier than the others, were sentenced to death, and today their death sentence was carried out.”
https://en.iranhrs.org/birjand-sanandaj-and-zahedan-prisons-eight-prisoners-including-two-women-executed/
https://haalvsh.org/2023/02/27/11972/
02 March 2023 :
(February 27, 2023) - Leila Bameri executed in Bandar Abbas on February 27
According to HRANA, quoting the Baloch Activists Campaign, on February 27, 2023, a woman identified as Leila Bameri was executed in Bandar Abbas prison. Three years ago, she was arrested for drug-related crimes in Bandar Abbas.
She was reportedly executed without having a chance to visit her family for the last time. Bameri was the mother of a five-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy.
None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported this execution at the time of writing. The execution of this mother of 2 young kids brings the number of women executed in Iran from 2007 to 208
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-bandar-abbas-and-zahedan/
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/03/01/mother-of-2-young-kids/
28 February 2023 :
(February 26, 2023) - 3 men and 2 women executed in Birjand on February 26
According to HRANA, quoting Haal Vsh, five inmates, including two women, were executed in Birjand Prison.
Two of these men have been identified as Abdolhamid Sheh Bakhsh (Abdul Hamid Shah Bakhsh) (Faqirzahi), a resident of Zahedan, and Ali Fanoodie (Fanoudi, Fanodi), a resident of Birjand. In 2020, they were arrested and sentenced to death for drug-related crimes. The identities of the three others are still unknown.
None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported these executions at the time of writing.
https://www.en-hrana.org/five-inmates-executed-in-birjand-prison/
https://en.iranhrs.org/birjand-sanandaj-and-zahedan-prisons-eight-prisoners-including-two-women-executed/
https://haalvsh.org/2023/02/26/11960/
28 February 2023 :
(February 26, 2023) - Hamid Rahimi executed in Sanandaj on February 26
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Sunday, February 26, 2023, the death sentence of a 34-year-old Kurdish citizen from Dehgolan named Hamid Rahimi was carried out in Sanandaj Central Prison.
According to Hengaw’s sources, Rahimi was arrested four years ago on the charge of murder. The news of the execution of this Kurdish prisoner has not been announced in the government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/02/in-sanandaj-prison-a-kurdish-prisoner-was-executed
https://en.iranhrs.org/birjand-sanandaj-and-zahedan-prisons-eight-prisoners-including-two-women-executed/
08 March 2023 :
(February 26, 2023) - 5 men executed in Arak on February 26. The news was published on March 8 by IHRS. On February 26, 5 prisoners executed in Arak prison. All of them were sentenced to death for drugs. There is no information about the names and details of these prisoners.
Arak and Bandar Abbas Eight prisoners executed - Iran HRS
03 March 2023 :
(February 23, 2023) - Hassan Abbasi and Ali Rezaei executed in Rasht Central Prison (Lakan) on February 23. The two men were sentenced to death for murder.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5758/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5754/
23 February 2023 :
(February 22, 2023) - 2 women executed in Karaj. Fariba Hosseini and Nazifeh …
According to reports from inside Iran today, Wednesday, February 22, 2023, two women were executed in January and February in Iran.
Fariba Hosseini was hanged in Fardis Prison on February 14. Fariba Hosseini was a mother of two children who was arrested and imprisoned in this prison six years ago on charges of murder.
Another prisoner, Nazifeh, was executed in Fardis Prison in early January. Nazifeh was an Afghan citizen imprisoned for murdering her husband. Her last name is not known, but it is said that she had two children.
According to reports from Fardis Prison of Karaj, many Afghan women are locked up there on charges of theft, drug trafficking, and murder. They are held in an uncertain situation because they have no support.
With the execution of women in Fardis Prison of Karaj, the number of women executed in Iran since 2007 reached 205.
The Iranian regime is the world’s top record holder of the execution of women.
According to the statistics compiled by the NCRI Women’s Committee (and confirmed by Hands off Cain), at least 15 women were executed in Iran in 2022.
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/02/22/execution-of-women-in-fardis/
https://en.iranhrs.org/at-least-two-female-prisoners-executed-in-ferdis-karaj/
23 February 2023 :
(February 22, 2023) - Political prisoner Sarkawt Ahmadi executed in Kermashan on February 22.
According to a report received by Hengaw, at dawn on February 22, 2023, the death sentence of Sarkawt Ahmadi (Arash), a political activist from Ravansar, was secretly executed in Dizel Abad Prison, Kermanshah.
29-year-old Sarkawt Ahmadi, a political activist and former member of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, was arrested by the government forces in January 2021, while he was separated from this party and was on his way to Europe via Urmia. Then he was transferred to the Kermanshah Intelligence Detention Center.
This political activist was later sentenced to death for the murder of a policeman named Sargurd Hassan Maleki.
On August 23, 2017, Hassan Maleki was killed in front of his house by unknown armed men, which was later claimed by the "Red Flag Fighters" group.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/02/the-death-sentence-of-sarkawt-ahmadi-a-kurdish-political-prisoner-was-executed-secretly
https://en.iranhrs.org/sarkot-ahmadi-a-political-prisoner-executed-in-kermanshah-central-prison/
13 March 2023 :
(February 22, 2023) - Armin Hirani executed in Kermanshah on February 22
Hengaw has been informed on March 11 that the death sentence of a 20-year-old Kurdish prisoner from Ravansar, named Armin Hirani, has been secretly carried out in the Dizel Abad prison of Kermanshah on February 22.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Wednesday, 2023, the death sentence of Armin Hirani, 20 years old and from the village of "Kani Pehmou" of Ravansar District, was secretly carried out without the family's knowledge at Dizel Abad prison, Kermanshah. The news of the execution of this man was not announced in the Iranian state media.
According to a source, Armin Hirani was arrested by government forces on December 19, 2020 on charges of premeditated murder. At the time the young man was 18 years and 4 months old
In 2022, the death sentence of this prisoner was confirmed and announced by the Iranian judiciary.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/03/a-kurdish-citizen-from-ravansar-was-secretly-executed-in-the-kermanshah-prison
https://en.iranhrs.org/a-20-year-old-man-executed-in-dieselabad-prison-in-kermanshah/
27 February 2023 :
(February 22, 2023) - Mohammad Rasul Cholaki executed in Ilam on February 22.
According to IHRS, on Wednesday, February 22, a prisoner named Mohammad Rasul Cholaki, 20 years old, was executed in Ilam prison. Cholaki was from Ivangharb and accused of murder.
https://en.iranhrs.org/ilam-torbatjam-three-prisoners-executed/
21 February 2023 :
(21/02/2023) - 3 men executed in Urmia on February 21
Saadullah Farkhi Jazmi, Vahid Beyzaei, and Amir Ali Bayrami
According to the report received by the Hengaw, at dawn on February 21, 2023, the death sentence of at least three prisoners named Saadullah Farkhi Jazmi, Vahid Bayzaei, and Amir Ali Bairmi was executed in the central prison of Urmia.
These three prisoners were arrested a few years ago in three separate cases on the charge of intentional murder and sentenced to death.
The three prisoners were transferred to the solitary cells on February 19.
The news of the execution of these three prisoners has not been announced in the government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/02/three-prisoners-were-executed-in-the-central-prison-of-urmia
23 February 2023 :
(February 21, 2023) - Davood Rakjan (aka Haj Nabi Kharkoohi) executed in Birjand on February 21
Haal Vsh reported that on February 21, Birjand Prison officials executed an inmate identified as Davood Rakjan (aka Haj Nabi Kharkoohi), age 44, a resident of Zahedan. He was reportedly sentenced to death in 2010 for carrying and keeping drugs.
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-sanandaj-and-birjand-prisons/
23 February 2023 :
(February 20, 2023) - Moslem (Muslim) Moradi executed in Sanandaj on February 20
The death sentence of a Kurdish prisoner from Diwandarreh named Moslem Moradi, sentenced to death on charges of intentional murder, was executed in Sanandaj Central Prison.
The news of the execution of the Kurdish prisoner has not been announced in the government media or the media affiliated with the judiciary.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/02/a-prisoner-from-diwandarreh-was-executed-in-sanandaj-prison
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-sanandaj-and-birjand-prisons/
21 February 2023 :
Political prisoner Hassan Abyat executed in Ahvaz on February 20.
According to IHRS, quoted by Al-Arabiya, on the morning of Monday, February 20, 2023 political prisoner Hassan Abyat was executed in Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz.
Abyat, born in 1978, from Hamidiyeh, Ahvaz, was married and had one child. He graduated from Payam Noor University in Sosangerd city. He was arrested in January 2011 on charges of being a member of anti-regime groups.
Abyat was arrested along with a number of other Ahvaz citizens, Khaled Obidawi, Eidan Beit Sayah, Jassem Saeedi, Reza Obidawi and Jalil Naami. They were all severely tortured to obtain forced confessions.
Abyat was sentenced to death by Judge Farhad Vand in 2012. The charges against him declared as Moharebeh “war against God and corruption in the world, establishment of organizations opposed to the Islamic Republic and communication with foreign countries and actions against security of the country”.
https://en.iranhrs.org/hassan-abyat-a-political-prisoner-executed/
26 February 2023 :
(February 20, 2023) - Alireza and Safar Mohammadpour executed in Torbat Jam on on February 20
According to Hal Vash, two Baluch brothers were executed in Torbat Jam Prison on February 20. Their names have been reported as 28-year-old Alireza Mohammadpour (Shahuzehi) and 31-year-old Safar Mohammadpour (Shahuzehi) from Saleh Abad.
The brothers were arrested for drug-related charges around three year ago.
Informed sources told Hal Vash: “They didn’t find any drugs on these two brothers. Border patrol discovered the drugs at another location and arrested them for it. Both brothers repeatedly denied the charges in court and under interrogations and said they knew nothing about the drugs and it had nothing to do with them.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by media inside Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5743/
19 February 2023 :
Nijomi Moradi executed in Urmia on February 16.
According to the report received by Hengaw, at dawn on Thursday, February 16, 2023, the death sentence of a Kurdish citizen from Selmas named Nijomi Moradi was carried out in Urmia Central Prison.
According to a source, 43-year-old Moradi, a native of Harkian village in Salmas, was arrested two years ago on charges of murder.
The news of the execution of this Kurdish prisoner has not been announced in the Iranian government or judiciary media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/02/a-kurdish-prisoner-was-executed-in-urmia-central-prison
17 February 2023 :
2 men (unidentified) executed in Gohardasht on February 15.
On Wednesday, February 15, 2023, two prisoners in Gohardasht prison, whose identity is unknown, were executed on charges of murder. They were transferred along with 10 other prisoners to execute the death sentence on February 13.
https://en.iranhrs.org/three-prisoners-executed-in-gohordasht-and-neyshabur/
17 February 2023 :
Parviz Frotani executed in Neyshabur on February 15
On February 15, 2023 Parviz Frotani was executed in Neyshabur prison. Frotani was a hairdresser and four years ago he was arrested on the charge of murder and then sentenced to death.
https://en.iranhrs.org/three-prisoners-executed-in-gohordasht-and-neyshabur/
15 February 2023 :
Milad Jajuyi (Jajouyi) Khanik and Mohammad Ali Akhtari Kahlan (Kohlan) executed in Urmia on February 14
According to the report received by the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, the death sentence of two prisoners called Milad Jajuyi Khanik and Mohammad Ali Akhtari Kahlan was executed in Urmia Central Prison on Tuesday morning, February 14, 2023.
The two prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement on February 12, to execute the death sentence.
The two men, along with another man called Milad Ghafarzadeh Qaragheshlaq, attacked a gold shop in Farhangian Street, Urmia, on September 18, 2018, stole 10 kilograms of gold and killed the shopkeeper called Jafar Dasti. They were arrested in the same month for "armed robbery leading murder" in Urmia.
These three people were sentenced to death in April 2019 by branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia, headed by Judge Sheikhlou, on the charge of "Muharebeh" through armed robbery. Later, Milad Ghafarzadeh Qaragheshlaq's sentence was canceled and changed to imprisonment by the Supreme Court, and the other two sentences were confirmed.
So far the execution of these two prisoners has not been announced in the government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/02/two-prisoners-were-executed-in-urmia-central-prison
https://www.en-hrana.org/five-inmates-executed-in-arak-and-urmia/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-two-prisoners-charged-with-enmity-against-god-in-orumiyeh/
15 February 2023 :
According to HRANA, on February 14, three unidentified death-row inmates convicted of drug-related crimes were executed in Arak Prison. Later, one of the men has been identified as Mostafa Majnouni.
HRANA is working on identifying the prisoners and finding out details on their cases.
https://www.en-hrana.org/five-inmates-executed-in-arak-and-urmia/
19 February 2023 :
On February 14, 3 prisoners were executed in Karaj Central Prison.
All 3 prisoners were drug suspects, 1 of whom was named Mehdi Dostari.
https://en.iranhrs.org/on-the-other-side-of-prisoners-amnesty-coin/
19 February 2023 :
Hassan Teyran executed in Urmia on February 14
Iran executed today Hassan Teyran, a prisoner charged with “premeditated murder”, at Orumiyeh (Urmia) Central Prison.
On 14 February, the prisoner was transferred to solitary confinement along with another death row prisoner, Afshin Amin-Khani.
Amin-Khani’s execution was halted after the consent of the victim’s family was obtained.
Teyran, 43, and Amin-Khani, 30, were arrested in 2020 and 2021, respectively, on charges of murder.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-prisoner-executed-over-murder-related-charges-in-orumiyeh/
16 February 2023 :
Behzad Alirezaei and Ahmad Samari executed in Qazvin on February 13
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Qazvin Central Prison on February 13. Their identities have been established as Behzad Alirezaei and Ahmad Samari, who were sentenced for murder.
A source told IHR: “They were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions on Saturday. Behzad Alirezaei was accused of murder during a group fight. But he rejected the charges and said five others were in that fight and the murder wasn’t his fault.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5731/
https://en.iranhrs.org/eight-people-executed-in-gorgan-qazvin-urmia-and-arak-prisons/
16 February 2023 :
Sirous (Siros) Gholami executed in Gorgan on February 12
According to information obtained by IHR, a man was executed in Gorgan Central Prison on February 12. His identity has been established as Sirous Gholami who was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to death for murder.
A source told IHR: “Sirous had committed the murder over financial disputes. He was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution on Wednesday afternoon and was waiting for the murdered person’s family to consent to him not being executed, but they refused.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5730/
https://en.iranhrs.org/eight-people-executed-in-gorgan-qazvin-urmia-and-arak-prisons/
10 February 2023 :
February 5, 2023 - Ebrahim Hojjat Qoli executed in Zanjan on February 5.
According to IHRS, on Sunday, February 5, 2023, a male prisoner was executed in Zanjan Central Prison. Ebrahim Hojjat Qoli was sentenced on charges of murder.
According to IHRS, 37-year-old Hojat Qoli was married and the father of a young child.
https://en.iranhrs.org/a-male-prisoner-was-executed-in-zanjan-central-prison/
01 February 2023 :
31/01/2023 - Two prisoners named Ahmad Zali Tabar and Omid Ali Kohi executed in Karaj Central Prison last week. The death sentence of these two prisoners carried out in the complete silence of the state media. “Last week” runs from January 23 to 29.
https://en.iranhrs.org/in-news-silence-executions-in-karaj-central-prison-continue/
02 February 2023 :
February 1, 2023 - Mehdi Rasi Azar executed in Gohardasht on February 1
According to the IHRS on Wednesday, February 1, one prisoner was executed in Gohardasht Prison According to the government website Rokna, this morning, Wednesday, February 1, 2023, a prisoner was executed in Gohardasht prison on charges of murder. Mehdi Rasi Azar was in prison since 2019 on charges of murder.
https://en.iranhrs.org/two-executions-in-shiraz-one-execution-in-gohardasht-prison/
02 February 2023 :
February 1, 2023 - Unnamed man executed on February 1 in Gohardasht
According to Rokna, at least one man was executed in Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison on February 1. The unnamed man was sentenced for the murder of three people in an orchard in Varamin in 2020.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5723/
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-three-prisons/
02 February 2023 :
January 31, 2023 - Ali Alaverdi (Allahverdi, Ali Allah Verdi) and Farhang Zakayi (Zakaie, Zakai) executed in Adel-Abad Prison, Shiraz on January 31.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Shiraz Central Prison on January 31. Their identities have been established as Ali Alaverdi and Farhang Zakayi who were sentenced for murder.
An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Ali and Farhang were half-brothers from the same mother. They had committed an honour killing three years ago and had been behind bars since.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5722/
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-three-prisons/
https://en.iranhrs.org/two-executions-in-shiraz-one-execution-in-gohardasht-prison/
08 February 2023 :
January 31, 2023 - According to the Iranian Human Rights Society, on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, two prisoners were sentenced to death on charges of murder in Tabriz Central Prison.
Since February 2020, 27-year-old Saeed was arrested for murder in a brawl and sentenced to death for the same charge.
There is no information about the identity of the other prisoner, who was also charged with murder.
https://en.iranhrs.org/tabriz-two-prisoners-executed-in-central-prison/
01 February 2023 :
30/01/2023 - Esmaeil Kachalanlu executed in Mako prison on January 30
According to the report received by the Hengaw organization for human rights, at dawn on Monday, January 30, 2023, the death sentence of of a Kurdish man, Esmaeil Kachalanlu, from Shut city near Urmia, was carried out in Mako Central Prison.
Nearly three and a half years ago, an Iranian court sentenced this citizen to death for murder. So far, the news of the execution of this prisoner has not been announced in the government media or the media related to the judiciary.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/01/in-mako-prison-a-kurdish-prisoner-was-executed
02 February 2023 :
January 30, 2023 - Hasan Javanroudian executed in Karaj on January 30
According to IHRS, on January 30 a prisoner named Hasan Javanroudian, a native of Karaj, was executed in Karaj Central Prison.
Hasan Javanroudian was arrested in Karaj on drug-related charges and sentenced to death for the same charge.
https://en.iranhrs.org/mako-kerman-and-central-karaj-prison-at-least-six-prisoners-executed/
01 February 2023 :
30/01/2023 - 4 men executed in Kerman on January 30
Rasul Safarzaei (Safarzai), Obaidullah Safarzaei (Abdullah Safarzai), Habib (Habibullah) Sarani, and Behzadi (unknown name).
According to IHRS, on Monday, January 30, 2023, three Baloch prisoners, including two brothers, were executed on charges related to drugs in Kerman prison. The names of the executed prisoners were Rasul Safarzaei (Safarzai), 50, Obaidullah Safarzaei (Abdullah Safarzai), 34, and Habib (Habibullah) Sarani, 44. A fourth man, that Haalvsh identified only as “Behzadi”, was also executed.
Both the imprisoned brothers were married and fathers of several children. Rasul Safarzaei the father of 4 children and Abdullah Karim Safarzaei and father of three children.
https://en.iranhrs.org/three-prisoners-executed-in-kerman-including-two-brothers/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/01/three-baloch-prisoners-were-executed-in-the-central-prison-of-kerman
https://haalvsh.org/2023/01/30/11709/
28 January 2023 :
4 men executed in Karaj on January 26.
Reza Shokri, Omid Shokri, Majid Shah Mohammadi and Borjali Karami
Four men including two brothers sentenced to death for drug-related charges, were executed in Karaj Penitentiary.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, four men were executed in Karaj Penitentiary on January 26. Their identities have been established as Reza Shokri, Omid Shokri, Majid Shah Mohammadi and Borjali Karami. They were all sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court. Reza and Omid Shokri were brothers. At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5716/
https://en.iranhrs.org/eight-prisoners-executed-in-central-prisons-of-karaj-arak-qazvin-and-khalkhal/
01 February 2023 :
26/01/2023 - Reza Shokripour executed in Karaj on January 26
According to the reports received to IHRS, on Thursday, January 26, 2023, a prisoner named Reza Shokripour, the son of Najaf Ali, was executed in the central prison of Karaj on drug charges. This prisoner from Ilam was 30 years old and had two children and was in prison for 4 years.
After the riot of prisoners in Karaj Central Prison, a number of prisoners under death sentence was transferred to solitary confinement and executed in news silence. The execution of this prisoner not published in any of the state media.
https://en.iranhrs.org/in-news-silence-executions-in-karaj-central-prison-continue/
28 January 2023 :
Hamed Heydari executed in Khalkhal on January 26.
Heydari, a conscript soldier, was arrested on October 10, 2019, along with another person on charges of murder, and later sentenced to death for the same charge.
https://en.iranhrs.org/eight-prisoners-executed-in-central-prisons-of-karaj-arak-qazvin-and-khalkhal/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5715/
02 February 2023 :
January 25, 2023 - Mansour Yusuf Zahi (Mansour Yousefzehi) executed in Bandar Abbas on January 25.
According to the IHRS, citing Rasanak, on the morning of January 25, 2023 the death sentence of a poor prisoner was carried out in Bandar Abbas prison.
This prisoner, whose name was Mansour Yusuf Zahi, was a 22-year-old youth and the head of the family. This family was facing acute economic problems due to drought and loss of livestock and agriculture. So that after their son’s arrest, they were not able to get a lawyer for him. Mansour Yousef Zahi was married and the father of a young child.
Mansour Yousef Zahi was arrested on the charge of drug possession and on May 26, 2022, he was sentenced to death by Judge Alireza Ahmadi in the Revolutionary Court of Bandar Abbas.
https://en.iranhrs.org/a-poor-prisoner-executed-in-bandar-abbas-on-drug-charges/
https://www.en-hrana.org/four-inmates-executed-in-three-prisons/
28 January 2023 :
Reza Aghale (Aghaleh) executed in Qazvin on January 25.
According to the Iranian Human Rights Organization, on Wednesday, January 25, a prisoner who was the father of 3 children executed in Qazvin Central Prison (Chobin Dar). Reza Aghale was 56 years old and arrested and imprisoned in Qazvin Central Prison 8 years ago on charges of murder.
In order to torture Reza Aghale, they took him to solitary confinement 3 times for execution and brought him back again.
https://en.iranhrs.org/eight-prisoners-executed-in-central-prisons-of-karaj-arak-qazvin-and-khalkhal/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5712/
27 January 2023 :
3 Men executed in Arak
Omid Azni, Behnam… + Unk
According to HRANA, on January 24, 2023, three death-row prisoners were executed in Arak Prison. HRANA has identified two of them as Omid Azni and Behnam (last name unknown).
These prisoners were previously sentenced to death for drug offences. None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported these executions at the time of writing.
https://www.en-hrana.org/three-inmates-executed-in-arak-prison/
27 January 2023 :
Ahmad Zalitabar executed in Karaj on January 23
According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Ahmad Zalitabar of Delfan County in Lorestan Province was executed in Karaj's central prison at dawn on Monday, January 23, 2023.
This prisoner was imprisoned in Karaj Central Prison for drug-related charges three years ago until the execution of the sentence.
Until the time of this writing, the news of the execution of this prisoner had not been announced in the government media.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/01/a-prisoner-from-lorestan-was-executed-in-karaj-central-prison
25 January 2023 :
4 men executed in Karaj on January 23
Saman Nabi- Garusi (Nabi Groosi), Abolfazl Baraghani-Nejad (Abulfazl Barqaninejad), and Sabina Esmailzadeh (Ismailzadeh)
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on January 23, 2023, four inmates were executed in the Central Prison of Karaj. HRANA has identified three of them as Saman Nabi- Garusi (Kurdish), 30, Abolfazl Baraghani-Nejad, and Sabina Esmailzadeh (Kurdish), 30. All four inmates were convicted of drug-related crimes.
https://www.en-hrana.org/six-inmates-executed-in-karaj-and-hamedan/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/01/within-three-weeks-the-eighth-kurdish-prisoner-was-executed-in-karaj
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/01/two-prisoners-were-executed-in-karaj-central-prison
28 January 2023 :
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, four men were executed in Karaj Penitentiary on January 22. Their identities have been established as Ahmad Zalitabar, Saman Nabi-Gorousi, Abolfazl Borghaninejad and Omid Karamali who were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
The news of the executions of the first 3, Zalitabar, Nabi-Gorousi and Borghaninejad, had already been published in recent days by other sources, which had failed to identify the 4th man. Today IHRS identifies him as Omid Karamali.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5711/
25 January 2023 :
Ali Jalilvand and Akbar Ahmadi executed in Hamedan on January 19
On January 19, Hamedan Prison officials executed two inmates convicted of drug offences. HRANA reported the execution of Ali Jalilvand and Akbar Ahmadi, both married, in Hamedan Prison.
https://www.en-hrana.org/six-inmates-executed-in-karaj-and-hamedan/
15 February 2023 :
Kamel Doudkanlou and Seyyed Farhad Hosseini executed in Salmas on January 19
Doudkanlou, a father of four from the village of Qabakh Tappeh in Salmas, was arrested several years ago and sentenced to death for allegedly “carrying 30 grams of heroin”.
Hosseini, who comes from the village of Tamrabad in Salmas, was arrested about a year and a half ago on the charge of murder.
Hosseini was forced to confess to the murder in the detention facility of the Criminal Investigation Department under severe physical and psychological torture by police officers, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-two-prisoners-in-north-western-salmas/
23 January 2023 :
Akbar Sheikh Panahi executed in Isfahan on January 18, 2023.
On January 18, 2023, the death sentence of a prisoner was executed in Isfahan Central Prison. The name of this prisoner was Akbar Sheikh Panahi, who was executed on charges related to drugs. He was arrested for this charge several years ago and was imprisoned in Isfahan Central Prison.
According to Hengaw website, Akbar Sheikh Panahi along with two other prisoners (whom execution we already reported, Nima Vahidi and Omid Karimi) were taken for execution on the same day and executed in Isfahan Central Prison.
The execution of these prisoners has not been published in any of the government websites and authorities.
https://en.iranhrs.org/another-execution-in-isfahan-central-prison/
19 January 2023 :
Ghodrat Zibarom (Qudrat Zobeirom) executed in Ilam on January 18.
The death sentence of prisoner Ghodrat Zibarom (Qudrat Zobeirom) was executed today at Ilam Central Prison.
The prisoner was transferred to solitary confinement on 16 January for execution.
Zibarom, 30, who comes from Ilam, was arrested about three years ago on charges of “premeditated murder” and was sentenced to death under “retribution-in-kind” (qisas).
Iran: Prisoner executed over murder-related charges in Ilam (kurdistanhumanrights.org)
A Kurdish prisoner accused of retaliation was executed in Ilam prison (hengaw.net)
20 January 2023 :
Nima Vahidi and Omid Karimi executed in Isfahan on January 18.
According to the Iranian Human Rights Society, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, two prisoners named Nima Vahidi and Omid Karimi were executed in Isfahan Central Prison (Dastgerd).
Nima Vahidi from Dahaghan city and Omid Karimi from Chamgardan city were arrested three years ago on charges of murder and were sentenced to death for the same charge.
https://en.iranhrs.org/59-executions-in-less-than-a-month-in-iran/
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-ilam-and-isfahan/
20 January 2023 :
Sharaf Khan Akbari + Unk. executed in Karaj on January 18.
Two prisoners were executed in Karaj Central Prison (Karaj Penitentiary), on charges related to drugs.
They were transferred to solitary confinement on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, to execute the death sentence.
The name of one of these prisoners is Sharaf Khan Akbari. The name and details of the second prisoner are not known.
The execution of these prisoners has not been published in any of the government websites and authorities.
https://en.iranhrs.org/59-executions-in-less-than-a-month-in-iran/
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-the-central-prison-of-karaj/
20 January 2023 :
Kamel Dodkanlou (Doudkanlou) and Farhad Hosseini (Seyyed Farhad Hosseini) executed in Salmas on January 17.
Doudkanlou and Hosseini were sentenced to death on offences related to carrying drugs and murder, respectively.
Doudkanlou, a father of four from the village of Qabakh Tappeh in Salmas, was arrested several years ago and sentenced to death for allegedly “carrying 30 grams of heroin”.
Hosseini, who comes from the village of Tamrabad in Salmas, was arrested about a year and a half ago on the charge of murder.
Hosseini was forced to confess to the murder in the detention facility of the Criminal Investigation Department under severe physical and psychological torture by police officers, KHRN has learned.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executes-two-prisoners-in-north-western-salmas/
https://en.iranhrs.org/two-prisoners-executed-in-salmas-prison/
14 March 2023 :
(January 17, 2023) - Massoud Tahmasebi executed in Bandar Abbas on January 17.
According to Hal Vash, Massoud Tahmasebi was executed in Bandar Abbas Central Prison on January 17. The Baluch prisoner was sentenced for drug-related charges.
His execution has not been officially announced despite nearly two months passing.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5765/
14 January 2023 :
Iran has executed British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported on Saturday, after sentencing the former Iranian deputy defense minister to death on charges of spying for Britain.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said late on Friday Iran must not follow through with the execution — a call echoed by the US State Department. Britain had described the death sentence as politically motivated and called for his release.
Mizan said in a Tweet early on Saturday the sentence had been carried out, without saying when.
“Alireza Akbari, who was sentenced to death on charges of corruption on earth and extensive action against the country’s internal and external security through espionage for the British government’s intelligence service ... was executed,” it said.
The report accused Akbari, arrested in 2019, of receiving 1,805,000 euros, 265,000 pounds, and $50,000 for spying.
In an audio recording purportedly from Akbari and broadcast by BBC Persian on Wednesday, he said he had confessed to crimes he had not committed after extensive torture.
Iranian state media broadcast a video on Thursday that they said showed that Akbari played a role in the 2020 assassination of Iran’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, killed in a 2020 attack outside Tehran which authorities blamed at the time on Israel.
In the video, Akbari did not confess to involvement in the assassination but said a British agent had asked for information about Fakhrizadeh.
Iran’s state media often airs purported confessions by suspects in politically charged cases.
Reuters could not establish the authenticity of the state media video and audio, or when or where they were recorded.
London-Tehran ties have deteriorated in recent months as efforts have stalled to revive Iran’s 2015 nuclear pact, to which Britain is a party.
Britain has also been critical of the Islamic Republic’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests, sparked by the death in custody of a young Iranian-Kurdish woman in September.
A British foreign office minister said on Thursday that Britain was actively considering proscribing Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization but has not reached a final decision.
Iran has issued dozens of death sentences as part of the crackdown on the unrest, executing at least four people.
In the audio recording broadcast by BBC Persian, Akbari said he had made false confessions as a result of torture.
“With more than 3,500 hours of torture, psychedelic drugs, and physiological and psychological pressure methods, they took away my will. They drove me to the brink of madness... and forced me to make false confessions by force of arms and death threats,” he said.
Akbari was a close ally of Ali Shamkhani, now the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, who was defense minister from 1997 to 2005, when Akbari was his deputy.
A source close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has provided documents to Iran International showing that accusations against Akbari and his death sentence were aimed at weakening Shamkhani’s position in the clerical regime. It seems that President Ebrahim Raisi, Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib and Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi are exerting pressure to remove Shamkhani from the post.
On the Akbari case see also HoC 11/01/2023
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202301140840
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2232176/middle-east
17 January 2023 :
Akbar Shah Bakhsh executed in Zahedan on 14 January.
Already 31 executions in the first 2 weeks of the year.
According to Haalvsh website, on the morning of Saturday, January 14, 2023, a Baloch prisoner named Akbar Shah Bakhsh, from Sarjangal village, was executed in Zahedan prison.
In 2018, Shah Bakhsh was arrested in Zahedan on drug charges and was sentenced to death by Judge Mahgoli. He was transferred from ward 4 of Zahedan prison for execution.
https://en.iranhrs.org/three-prisoners-executed-in-zahedan-and-shiraz-prisons/
15 January 2023 :
Maher Eyluli and Ali Abbaszadeh executed in Shiraz on January 12.
According to information obtained by IHR, two men were executed in Shiraz Central Prison on January 12. Their identities have been established as 37-year-old Maher Eyluli and Ali Abbaszadeh who were arrested in the same case over two years ago.
They were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court and for murder by the Criminal Court. They appear to have been executed for the murder charges.
A source told Iran Human Rights: “Mahed Eyluli was father of one, his wife had divorced him after he was sentenced to death.” At the time of writing, neither of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5699/
22 January 2023 :
Milad Gholizadeh executed in Rasht on January 11
Gholizadeh was sentenced to death for murder charges.
At the time of writing, the execution has not been reported by media in Iran.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5701/
13 January 2023 :
3 of the 5 men executed in Arak on 11 January identified. As HoC had already reported, 5 men were executed in Arak prison on 11 January, all accused of drug offences. Initially only one of them was identified: Ali Geravand. Today, January 12, Hrana was able to identify Azad Dadvand, 40, from Sardasht, and Kaiwan Amini Tawakol, 42, from Baneh, both of Kurdish ethnicity.
Both Kaiwan Amini and Azad Dadvand were arrested two years ago and have been imprisoned in Arak Central Prison since then.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/01/five-prisoners-including-two-kurds-were-executed-in-arak-prison
12 January 2023 :
5 inmates executed in Arak Prison on January 11
According to HRANA, on January 11, 2023, five inmates were executed in Arak Prison. HRANA has identified one of them as Ali Geravand. All five people were previously sentenced to death for drug offences.
https://www.en-hrana.org/six-inmates-executed-in-arak-and-karaj/
12 January 2023 :
Reza Haji executed in Karaj on January 11
Officials executed an inmate, Reza Haji, for “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through armed robbery” in the Central Prison of Karaj
According to an informed source close to his family, he was sentenced to death for armed robbery.
https://www.en-hrana.org/six-inmates-executed-in-arak-and-karaj/
13 January 2023 :
Two Inmates Executed in Rasht and Gorgan on January 11
Milad Ashoob and Shahram Mortazavi
On January 11, 2023, an inmate convicted of murder was executed in Lakan Prison, Rasht. HRANA has identified the inmate as Milad Ashoob.
Also, another inmate, identified as Shahram Mortazavi, was executed in Gorgan Prison on the same day. An informed source close to his family told HRANA that he committed murder during a fight.
None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported these executions at the time of writing.
https://www.en-hrana.org/two-inmates-executed-in-rasht-and-gorgan/
17 January 2023 :
Mehdi Karmi executed in Arak on January 10.
Already 30 executions since the beginning of the year.
Iranian Human Rights Society had announced the execution of a prisoner named Mehdi Karmi.
Mehdi, son of Mozafar, was born in 1987 and was married. He was executed on Tuesday January 10, 2023, in Arak prison.
https://en.iranhrs.org/six-prisoners-were-executed-in-arak-and-gorgan-prisons/
https://mobile.twitter.com/_ma_rad
https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/ncri-statements/statement-human-rights/iran-twenty-six-criminal-executions-in-ten-days/
12 January 2023 :
Peyman Arab Gicheh executed in Karaj on January 10.
At dawn on Tuesday, January 10, Peyman Arab was executed in Karaj Central Prison.
Peyman Arab was transferred to solitary cell along with 8 other prisoners sentenced to death. Arab Gicheh, who comes from Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan province, was arrested about three years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related offences.
https://en.iranhrs.org/zahedan-roodan-and-central-karaj-three-prisoners-executed/
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-executions-another-prisoner-executed-over-drug-related-charges/
12 January 2023 :
Nazir Surkh Kaman executed in Roodan prison on January 9
On the morning of January 9, a Baloch prisoner named Nazir Surkh Kaman (Nazeer Serkh Kaman) was executed in Roodan prison.
Nazir was arrested in 2019 on charges related to drugs and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Zodan city located in Hormozgan.
Nazir Surkh Kaman was 28 years old, the son of Mosafer, married with a child, from Baluchistan and a resident of the border village of Milak in Zabul.
According to HaalVsh website, Nazir Surkh Kaman was executed without any information and last meeting with his family.
https://en.iranhrs.org/zahedan-roodan-and-central-karaj-three-prisoners-executed/
https://haalvsh.org/2023/01/09/11491/
18 January 2023 :
Mirajan Mohammadi executed in Roodān on January 9
At dawn on January 9, 2023, an Afghan prisoner named Mirajan Mohammadi was executed in Roodān prison on drug charges. Mohammadi was a native of Farah Province, Afghanistan. He was 26 years old, married and had one child. He was deprived of the last meeting with his family.
https://en.iranhrs.org/two-prisoners-executed-in-roodanand-lakan-prisons-in-rasht/
12 January 2023 :
Pardel Ahmad Khanzahi executed on January 8 in Zahedan
On the morning of Sunday, January 8, 2023, a Baloch prisoner named Pardel Ahmad Khanzahi was executed in Zahedan prison. There is no information about his charges and details.
Some have named Pardel Ahmad Khanzahi as one of the detainees of the recent nationwide protests, but there is no information about the truth of this issue. The accusation and details of Pardel Ahmad Khanzahi are under investigation.
https://en.iranhrs.org/zahedan-roodan-and-central-karaj-three-prisoners-executed/
22 April 2023 :
(April 20, 2023) - Unidentified Woman Executed with Protesters on January 7
According to newly obtained information, an unidentified woman was executed for murder charges along with protesters Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini in Karaj Penitentiary on January 7.
The woman, who has not been identified at the time of writing, was sentenced for murder.
On that day, protesters Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini were executed for charges of efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth). Despite more than three months passing, her execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “The night of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini’s execution in Karaj Prison, a woman who was convicted of murder was also executed after being transferred from Kachouii Prison.”
Iran is the biggest executioner of women. In 2022, at least 16 women were executed. The unidentified woman executed in January is the third woman executed in 2023 (the 7th according to Hands off Cain).
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5822/
28 January 2023 :
Ahmad Shariati executed in Kerman “in mid December”
According to the Hengaw Website, in mid-December 2022, a prisoner named Ahmad Shariati was executed in Kerman prison. The news of his execution had not reached human rights sites until today. Ahmad Shariati, from Anbarabad, Kerman, was arrested 4 years ago on the charge of drug possession.
29 December 2023 :
December 27, 2023 - Mansour Salamat killed under the torture of security agents on December 27
On Wednesday, December 27, 2023, a Kurdish citizen from Urmia named Mansour Salamat killed under the torture of security agents. Mansour Salamat was a native of Pesan village, Tergor region of Urmia. He was arrested by the security forces on the charge of possessing a hunting weapon. After being transferred to “Nine Pele” Detention Center in Urmia, he was subjected to the most severe physical and mental tortures.
The security agencies in Urmia called his family on the evening of Wednesday, December 27 and announced that he had a heart attack and died due to anxiety and stress. According to Mansour’s relatives, he was in perfect health before his arrest. The cause of his death can only be due to the severity of the tortures applied to him.
These institutions handed over the body of Mansour Salamat to his family on the morning of Thursday, December 28, 2023, on the condition that the news is not disclosed to the media. His family buried the body in his native village.
https://en.iranhrs.org/mansour-salamat-a-kurdish-citizen-killed-under-torture-in-urmia/
29 December 2023 :
December 27, 2023 - HRANA: Annual Analytical and Statistical Report on Human Rights in Iran for the year 2023
In a comprehensive report spanning from January 1, 2023, to December 20, 2023, HRANA has meticulously gathered, examined, and compiled 9,656 reports on the human rights situation. Set to be released in both summary and detailed formats, complete with charts and graphs, the report will provide in-depth analysis of the human rights landscape, including the imposing of over 33,335 months of imprisonment sentences for critics, the sentencing of citizens to 6,551 lashes despite international condemnation, and the execution of at least 746 individuals. This significant document serves as a detailed overview of the human rights conditions in Iran, backed by extensive statistical data.
Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA), through the dedicated efforts of its Department of Statistics and Publications, publishes its annual Gregorian calendar-based analytical and statistical report on the human rights situation in Iran for the one-year period (January 1, 2023, to December 20, 2023). This report is the culmination of the organization’s daily endeavors in recent years, forming part of a daily statistical project that began in 2009. It provides an analytical-statistical overview of human rights in Iran.
This report represents a synthesis of 9,656 human rights reports, gathered from 111 legal and news sources within the past calendar year. HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency) contributed 40% of the reports utilized in this publication, with 22% originating from official or government-affiliated Iranian sources, and the remaining 38% from other news or human rights sources.
Various aspects such as women’s rights, workers’ rights, children’s rights, prisoners’ rights, etc., are briefly examined and statistically analyzed, accompanied by relevant charts for enhanced reader comprehension. According to this report, the focus of human rights monitoring in Iran, in comparison between the capital and other areas, remains unequal. This long-standing inequality shows that in the last year, reporting from non-central areas has decreased by 27% compared to the capital. This situation continues to indicate the lack of adequate monitoring of other areas of the country relative to the center by civil society.
Although this report predominantly reflects the extensive efforts of courageous human rights defenders in Iran, who bear significant costs in pursuit of their humanitarian ideals, it inevitably has limitations. These include restrictions on the activities of human rights organizations by the Iranian government and governmental impediments to the free flow of information. Consequently, while this report strives for accuracy, it cannot be considered entirely error-free or a complete reflection of the human rights situation in Iran. Nevertheless, it stands as one of the most precise, comprehensive, and well-documented reports on human rights violations in Iran, offering valuable insights for organizations and defenders of human rights to better understand the human rights situation in Iran, its challenges, and potential opportunities.
Full report is available for download in PDF format.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
▪️ MONITORING
▪️ ETHNIC RIGHTS
▪️ RELIGIOUS RIGHTS
▪️ FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
▪️ TRADE UNIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS
▪️ ACADEMIA/ RIGHT TO EDUCATION
▪️ RIGHT TO LIFE (DEATH PENALTY)
▪️ CULTURAL RIGHTS
▪️ WORKERS’ RIGHTS
▪️ CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
▪️ WOMEN’S RIGHTS
▪️ PRISONERS’ RIGHTS
▪️ SECURITY FORCES’ VIOLENCE AND CITIZENS’ SAFETY
▪️ SENTENCES
▪️ ARRESTS
▪️ ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS
▪️ SEXUAL AND GENDER MINORITIES
▪️ HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS
▪️ HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATING ENTITIES
▪️ INDIVIDUAL HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS
https://www.en-hrana.org/annual-analytical-and-statistical-report-on-human-rights-in-iran-for-the-year-2023/
https://www.en-hrana.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/HRA-Annual-Report-EN-122023.pdf
26 December 2023 :
December 20, 2023 - Death Sentences Issued for 2,000 People in the Small City of Delfan
Urgent Call to Condemn Executions in Iran and Address the Human Rights Catastrophe in Delfan
Yahya Ebrahimi, the representative of Delfan County in the regime’s parliament, stated in a video interview released on Wednesday, December 20, 2023: “Around one to two thousand young people from this county have been sentenced to death on charges of selling drugs,” and “they are in the stage of implementation of their verdicts,” meaning that they are on the verge of execution.
The representative of Delfan in the parliament has stated: “During my field visit to Delfan this week, I also had a visit and meeting with the families of prisoners who have been sentenced to death for selling drugs. These families provided horrifying statistics regarding the number of individuals condemned to death in this county.”
This is happening while Delfan County has a population of only 150,000 people. This means that, based on this simple calculation, one person in every hundred in Delfan has been condemned to death by the Iranian regime on charges related to drugs. And this is solely and exclusively related to drug-related charges.
Such a high number of death sentences in a small county with a small population is a human rights catastrophe. While this issue is not limited to Delfan County, but a pattern implemented in each and every marginalized region of Iran. Thousands of individuals across Iran are being prepared for execution solely for drug crimes, which demonstrates a targeted and premeditated crime.
The objective of the Iranian regime in carrying out executions related to drug offenses is primarily aimed at suppressing and intimidating society. The execution of “ordinary prisoners” is considered one of the least costly forms of state-sanctioned killings for the Iranian regime. For this reason, the government has been utilizing these executions for years as a means of suppression, control, and vengeance.
A source close to the families of individuals who have received death sentences in Delfan told IranHRM that government forces have told these families that if one of their family members is a member of the Basij militia and assists in suppressing protests, they will save their brother or father from execution. This rumor spreads in the small town, forcing families to unwillingly comply and join the Basij, thus allowing the regime to control society through executions.
The majority of those who fall victim to executions are individuals who have experienced extreme poverty, and they are often considered part of the working class. The unemployment rate in Delfan is higher than the national average, standing at over 25 percent.
The news has also been published by domestic Iranian media outlets, including the website of the daily newspaper “Ettela’at” on Wednesday, December 20, 2023. Additionally, the government-affiliated newspaper “Baharnews” quoted a representative of the regime from Delfan, Lorestan, in the parliament, stating that approximately one to two thousand individuals in this county have been sentenced to death for drug trafficking and are in the phase of implementation of the verdicts.
Iran Human Rights Monitor (IranHRM) calls on the international community, particularly the United Nations and all human rights organizations, to condemn the executions in Iran and refuse to remain silent in the face of the human rights catastrophe in Delfan. We urge immediate action to stop the executions in Iran.
https://iran-hrm.com/2023/12/22/human-rights-catastrophe-death-sentences-issued-for-2000-people-in-the-small-city-of-delfan/
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6419/
22 December 2023 :
19/12/2023 - Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi boycotts latest trial
Jailed Iranian Nobel Peace laureate Narges Mohammadi refused to appear on Tuesday at her 1st trial hearing since the award ceremony, describing the court as a "slaughterhouse", her family said.
Mohammadi has spent much of the last 2 decades in and out of jail
Mohammadi, whose family accepted the 2023 prize in Oslo on her behalf on December 10, said the revolutionary court where she is being tried is responsible for ordering death sentences for young Iranians.
"The revolutionary court is the slaughterhouse of the youth of Iran, and I will not set foot in this slaughterhouse," she said in a statement published by her family on her Instagram account.
"I refuse to grant credibility or authority to judges affiliated with secret services and courts that engage in staged trials," she added.
The charges in the trial were not immediately clear but are believed to be related to her activities behind bars in Tehran's Evin prison where she has defiantly campaigned against Iran's Islamic authorities and the mandatory dress code for women.
She has also repeatedly denounced Iran's use of the death penalty which has seen hundreds of people executed this year.
Eight men have been executed in cases related to the protests that erupted in September 2022 and were sparked by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini. The movement was strongly supported by Mohammadi from prison.
Her family has said that if convicted in the latest case, she risked being told to serve her sentence in a prison outside the Iranian capital.
Mohammadi, 51, has spent much of the past two decades in and out of jail. She began serving her most recent sentence in November 2021.
The family said this will be the third trial Mohammadi has faced related to her activities in prison.
In the 2 previous cases, she was sentenced to 27 months in prison and 4 months of street sweeping and social work.
During the past 2 decades, Mohammadi has been arrested 13 times, and sentenced 5 times to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes.
The family confirmed that Mohammadi -- who has not seen her Paris-based husband and children for several years -- remains deprived of the right to make phone calls.
She has not spoken to her twin 17-year-old children -- who accepted the Nobel prize on her behalf -- for almost 2 years.
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231219-iranian-nobel-laureate-boycotts-latest-trial-family
22 December 2023 :
December 19, 2023 - Swedish Court Upholds Life Sentence for Hamid Noury.
A Swedish appeals court on Tuesday upheld the life sentence given to a former Iranian official convicted last year for his part in a mass execution of political prisoners in Iran in 1988.
In 2022, the Stockholm District Court ruling found Hamid Noury guilty of murder and serious crimes against international law, drawing strong criticism from Iran, which said the verdict was politically motivated.
The Appeal Court's decision was greeted with cheers by several hundred protesters who had gathered outside the court, waving flags and chanting slogans calling for the end of the Iranian regime.
"It's a great day, it's a beautiful day and justice has prevailed," Abdolreza Shafie, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, an opposition umbrella group, told Reuters.
Noury's lawyer could not immediately be reached for a comment.
In an interview with Iran's Fars news agency, Noury's son, Majeed Noury, said the trial was unfair adding "we will go to higher Swedish courts as well as international courts and present our evidence."
Noury is the only person so far to face trial over the killings at the Gohardasht prison in Karaj, Iran, in 1988 that targeted members of the Iranian People's Mujahideen, which was fighting in parts of Iran, as well as other political dissidents.
Amnesty International has put the number executed on government orders at around 5,000, saying in a 2018 report that "the real number could be higher." Iran has never acknowledged the killings.
Under Swedish law, courts can try Swedish citizens and other nationals for crimes against international law committed abroad.
Noury, who denied the charges, was arrested at a Stockholm airport in 2019. The case has caused a deep rift between Sweden and Iran. Earlier this month, an Iranian court opened the trial of a Swedish European Union employee arrested in 2022 while on holiday in the country.
Johan Floderus is charged with spying for Israel and "corruption on earth," a crime that carries the death penalty. Sweden has requested his immediate release, calling the detention arbitrary.
Rights groups and Western governments have accused the Islamic Republic of trying to extract political concessions from other countries through arrests on security charges that may have been trumped up.
Tehran says such arrests are based on its criminal code and it denies holding people for political reasons.
https://www.voanews.com/a/swedish-court-upholds-life-sentence-in-iran-executions-case/7404656.html
13 December 2023 :
December 12, 2023 - The European Parliament officially awarded the EU’s top human rights prize to Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom protest movement in Iran during a ceremony in Strasbourg on December 12.
“This year’s Sakharov Prize serves as a tribute to all the brave and defiant women, men and young people in Iran who, despite coming under increasing pressure, are continue the push for change,” the parliament’s President Roberta Metsola said.
Metsola deplored that none of Mahsa’s relatives was allowed to attend the event, saying that the travel ban imposed by Iranian authorities on the family “is another example of what the people of Iran face every day.”
In a heartfelt message to the Sakharov Prize Committee, Mahsa’s mother, Mojgan Eftekhari, said she would have liked to attend the ceremony and “thank you personally and on behalf of all the women of my land."
"Unfortunately, contrary to all legal and humanitarian norms, we have been denied this opportunity,” she added.
The ceremony was attended by the Amini family’s lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, as well as Iranian women’s rights defenders Afsoon Najafi and Mercedeh Shahinkar.
Mahsa, 22, died in Tehran in September 2022 while in police custody, three days after she was arrested for an alleged hijab infraction.
Her death triggered months of protests that spread across the country and rapidly escalated into calls for the overthrow of the four-decade-old Islamic theocracy in Iran.
Authorities responded with a brutal crackdown in which more than 500 people were killed and over 22,000 others were unlawfully detained, according to activists.
Following biased trials, the judiciary handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters. At least eight of them have been executed so far.
The 27-nation EU has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Iranian officials and entities for their involvement in the clampdown on the women-led protests.
In her message, Eftekhari wrote that her daughter “spread the dream of freedom from her hometown of Kurdistan to the whole of Iran, the Middle East and the world, mobilizing millions of oppressed women and men.”
"I firmly believe that her name will forever embody freedom alongside Joan of Arc's name," she added, in referrence to a saint honored as a defender of the French nation during the Hundred Years' War.
https://iranwire.com/en/news/123454-eu-remembers-mahsa-amini-at-sakharov-prize-awarding-ceremony/
13 December 2023 :
DECEMBER 11, 2023 - Mahsa Amini's Family Decries Travel Ban on Eve of Human Rights Award Ceremony
The family of Mahsa Amini has in a statement expressed frustration at the sudden and unexplained travel ban imposed on them by the Iranian authorities overnight yesterday.
Mahsa Amini died in police custody on September 16, 2022, after her arrest for “improper” hijab. Her death sparked the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran and months of protests.
Hours before Amini's family was to depart for France, where she will be honoured with the European Parliament’s prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, authorities at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport prevented them from boarding their December 8 flight.
"Upon arrival at Tehran International Airport, despite having the necessary visas and a legitimate reason to travel, we were unexpectedly informed by passport control officers that we were prohibited from leaving the country," the family said in its statement.
A copy of the statement was received by IranWire.
"Our passports were confiscated and we were given receipts instructing us to visit the Tehran General Passport Office the following morning [Saturday, 9 December] to retrieve our passports," the family added.
But officials at the passport office claimed to know nothing of the situation and directed the family to the Prosecutor General’s Office in Tehran.
The Amini family then visited this office accompanied by their lawyer.
Tehran’s first deputy prosecutor informed the family they had been prohibited from leaving Iran at the behest of the bailiff – the Ministry of Intelligence.
"Despite our inquiries, officials refused to provide a solid reason for the travel ban and said it would remain in effect until January 20, 2024," the family said.
The family had also checked their account on the Islamic Republic judiciary online system before visiting the prosecutor but found no record of any court case against them.
The Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that there was no case and that the travel ban was imposed based on the Ministry of Intelligence request.
"Despite recent directives from the head of the judiciary criticizing unnecessary travel bans and emphasizing the need for prompt notifications, our family received no prior notice or judicial order regarding the travel restriction," the family said.
"This lack of communication led us to travel from Saqqez to Tehran under the assumption that, if banned, we would have been informed in advance," they added.
The exact reasons behind the Ministry’s decision remain unclear and requests for more information from the Prosecutor’s Office have yielded no results. But it is widely believed to be a politically-motivated move aimed at silencing Amini's family and suppressing the burgeoning women's rights movement in Iran.
A court also sentenced the family’s legal representative to a year in prison for "propaganda activity" against the Islamic Republic in October.
Attempts by the family to retrieve their passports proved futile on Saturday afternoon. The Aminis were informed that the documents would only be returned if the travel ban was not extended after the specified January 20, 2024 date.
"Our intention for the trip was solely to attend the award ceremony, and we had purchased return tickets, demonstrating our genuine and lawful purposes. Nevertheless, our travel was unjustly halted," the Aminis said.
"We question why, according to the law, we are subjected to a travel ban without judicial authority. And if such authority exists then why has the order not been communicated to us? Why have we been left unaware of the alleged crime for which we are being restricted?” the family said.
After Mahsa Amini’s death and the outbreak of nationwide protests, more than 500 people were killed in the ensuing crackdown by security forces and over 20,000 people were unlawfully detained, including dozens of lawyers.
Following biased trials, the judiciary has handed down stiff sentences including the death penalty to protesters. The Islamic Republic has so far executed at least 8 young protesters.
"We know that our only 'crime' is being the family of Jina Mahsa Amini," the family said in its statement.
12 December 2023 :
December 10, 2023 - Narges Mohammadi's children collect the Nobel in place of their mother, detained in Iran
Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in prison, Narges Mohammadi blasts Iran's 'tyranny'----The children of imprisoned Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi have accepted this year’s Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf in a ceremony Sunday in the Norwegian capital.
Mohammadi is renowned for campaigning for women's rights and democracy in her country, as well as fighting against the death penalty.
Ali and Kiana Rahmani, Mohammadi’s twin 17-year-old children who live in exile in Paris with their father, have been given the prestigious award at Oslo City Hall, after which they gave the Nobel Peace Prize lecture in their mother's name.
Mohammadi, 51, was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize in October for her decades of activism despite numerous arrests by Iranian authorities and spending years behind bars. She is currently detained in a prison in Tehran.
At a news conference in Oslo on Saturday, Kiana Rahmani read out a message from her mother, in which the imprisoned activist praised the role international media played in “conveying the voice of dissenters, protesters and human rights defenders to the world.”
“Iranian society needs global support and you, journalists and media professionals are our greatest and most important allies in the difficult struggle against the destructive tyranny of the Islamic Republic government. I sincerely thank you for your efforts, for all you’ve done for us,” Mohammadi said in her note.
Kiana Rahmani said she held little hope of seeing her mother again.
“Maybe I’ll see her in 30 or 40 years, but I think I won’t see her again. But that doesn’t matter, because my mother will always live on in my heart, values that are worth fighting for,” she said.
Mohammadi’s brother and husband told reporters in Oslo that she planned to go on a hunger strike on Sunday in solidarity with the Baha’i Faith religious minority in Iran.
Rahmani's husband, Taghi, previously said that he hasn’t been able to see his wife for 11 years, and their children haven’t seen their mother for 7.
Mohammadi played a leading role in protests triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini last year while in police custody for allegedly violating the country’s strict headscarf law which forces women to cover their hair and entire bodies.
Narges Mohammadi is the 19th woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the 2nd Iranian woman after human rights activist Shirin Ebadi won the award in 2003 and was in attendance at the ceremony.
It’s the 5th time in the 122-year history of the awards that the peace prize has been given to someone who is in prison or under house arrest.
In 2010, the Chinese writer and political dissident Liu Xiaobo, in prison, was unable to collect the award. The man died in prison seven years after the prize was awarded, without him or his family being able to collect it for him.
Narges Mohammadi is the 19th woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the 2nd Iranian woman after human rights activist Shirin Ebadi won the award in 2003.
It’s the 5th time in the 122-year history of the awards that the peace prize has been given to someone who is in prison or under house arrest.
(Source: france24.com)
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231210-iran-s-jailed-narges-mohammadi-to-receive-nobel-peace-prize-in-absentia
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202312111097
14 December 2023 :
December 10, 2023 - Swede faces charges in Iran of spying for Israel
Johan Floderus, employed by the European Union, faces charges in Iran of spying for Israel and ‘corruption on earth’, which can carry the death penalty, Iranian news agency ISNA said on Sunday.
Sweden said on Saturday that the trial had begun of Johan Floderus, who was detained in April 2022 while on holiday in Iran, but did not say what he was charged with.
The Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency said in an online report on Sunday that Floderus's trial had begun and that he was indicted "based on corruption on earth, widespread activities against national security (and) wide intelligence cooperation with the Zionist regime", a reference to Israel.
Corruption on earth is a capital offence under Iran's Islamic laws.
"Johan Floderus has been arbitrarily detained and every accusation and charge is false," a spokesperson for Sweden's foreign ministry said in an emailed comment to Reuters on Sunday.
"We have conveyed this clearly to Iran at different levels and times, the most recent being yesterday."
Floderus' family has said he was detained "without any justifiable cause or due process."
Rights groups and Western governments have accused the Islamic Republic of trying to extract political concessions from other countries through arrests on security charges that may have been trumped up. Tehran says such arrests are based on its criminal code and it denies holding people for political reasons.
Relations between Sweden and Iran have been tense since 2019 when Sweden arrested a former Iranian official for his part in the mass execution and torture of political prisoners in the 1980s.
The judiciary said Floderus had operated through projects by U.S. and European institutions to gather intelligence for Israel. It said another hearing would be announced at a later date.
12 December 2023 :
December 8, 2023 - Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM) has obtained the final statistics on executions in the month of November based on extensive research conducted on this matter.
The number of executions in November 2023 has shown a significant increase compared to previous months. In October 2023, the number of executions had reached 86 individuals, while in November, this number rose to 120.
In November, the Iranian judiciary executed seven political prisoners. Among those executed were individuals who had participated in the protests of November 2019. These executions were carried out after four years of silence. The three political prisoners executed from the 2019 protests were Kamran Rezaei, Hani Shahbazi, and Gholam Rasoul Heydari.
Another victim of political executions in November was a political prisoner from the 1980s named Ali Saberi Motlaq, also known as “Gheda Ali Saber Motlaq.” He was hanged based on allegations against him 40 years ago. The other victim of political executions was Milad Zohrevand, one of the protesters of the nationwide protests in 2022.
In November, three individuals were executed publicly, and a prisoner under the age of 18 named Hamidreza Azari was executed in Sabzevar Prison. Additionally, three female prisoners were also executed in November. The number of executions in Iran has exceeded 700 since the beginning of this year, reaching a total of 743 executions. (768 for HoC)
Iran Human Rights Monitor (IranHRM) calls upon the international community and all human rights organizations to condemn and break the silence in the face of these brutal executions in Iran and undertake urgent action to bring them to a halt.
https://iran-hrm.com/2023/12/04/stop-executions-in-iran-120-executed-in-november-2023/
08 December 2023 :
December 2, 2023 - European Union: Current Pace Of Executions In Iran ‘Appalling’
Reacting to reports of the execution of a young man and a young protester, the European Union has called on Iran to refrain from any future executions.
Peter Stano, lead spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy of the European Union, stated on Friday, "There are credible reports that a minor, Hamidreza Azari, and a protester, Milad Zohrevand, were executed in Iran on November 24 and 23 respectively," emphasizing the European Union’s "firm and principled opposition to the use of capital punishment at all times and in all circumstances." Iran has hanged nearly 700 people this year alone.
Stano also underlined that as a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Conventions on the Rights of the Child, the Islamic Republic is prohibited from imposing the death penalty for crimes committed under the age of 18.
Hamid Azari was hanged on Friday morning at the Central Prison of Sabzevar in the northwestern province of Khorasan-e Razavi for complicity in stabbing Hamidreza Aldaghi to death in a street fight in April.
Iran Human Rights (IHR), a Norway-based NGO, claims to have reliable evidence that Azari was only sixteen years and eight months old at the time and seventeen years and three months when he was hanged.
According to IHR, the Islamic Republic has hanged at least 68 other child offenders since 2010.
Stano’s statement also mentions Milad Zohrevand, a construction worker who was arrested during last year’s protests in Malayer in the western province of Hamedan and was hanged on November 23 on charges of killing Ali Nazari, a Revolutionary Guard.
Miladvand’s family and friends say he was only in the vicinity of the place Nazari was shot to death. Authorities have not offered any solid evidence of Miladvand’s involvement in the killing.
The young man who was tried and sentenced to death behind closed doors was never given access to a lawyer and his family were pressured by the authorities not to talk to the media about his case. He was hanged without having a chance to meet his family for a last time before his execution.
IHR said on December 1 that the Islamic Republic has executed over 700 in 2023 including at least 176 since October 7 when the war in Gaza started.
IHR urged the international community and especially European countries to “break their silence on the arbitrary execution of more than three people per day by the Islamic Republic.”
“The critical human rights situation in Iran, and the death penalty in particular, must not be compromised for political and regional considerations. The international community’s silence on executions is considered a green light by the Islamic Republic,” IHR said.
Other prisoners, IHR NGO says, have often been hanged in groups of several in various prisons for political crimes, drug offences and murder.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202312027555
01 December 2023 :
November 30, 2023 - Based on the statistics registered in the Statistics and Documents Center of Hengaw, during November 2023, at least 118 Kolbers and tradesmen were killed or injured in the borders of Kurdistan, which 93.2% of the cases were caused by direct fire from the Iranian armed forces.
According to this report, 8 Kolbers were killed and 110 Colbers were injured. During this period, one underaged Kolber was killed by direct fire from the Iranian Border Guards, and 14 others were wounded.
This statistic has increased by 88 cases, equivalent to 293%, compared to October, when 30 Kolbers were killed or injured.
The highest number of victims was recorded in Kurdistan province with 93 cases.
Cause of death or injury:
Direct shooting: 111 cases (6 killed and 105 wounded) equivalent to 93.2% of total cases.
Mine explosion; 2 cases (2 wounded), equivalent to 2.6% of total cases.
Natural disasters; 5 cases (2 killed and 3 injured) equivalent to 4.2% of total cases.
Separation of victims by province:
West Azarbaijan Province (Urmia): 3 cases (2 killed and 1 injured).
Kurdistan Province: 93 cases (5 killed and 88 wounded).
Kermanshah province: 22 cases (1 killed and 21 injured).
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/11/118-kolbers-killed-and-wounded-in-november-2023
30 November 2023 :
November 26, 2023 - Names of 50 female political prisoners in Iran’s Evin prison
A list of the names of more than 50 female political prisoners imprisoned in the women’s ward of Evin’s prison
Iran Human Rights Society, on Saturday 25th of November 2023, prepared a list of the names of a number of women political prisoners imprisoned in the women’s ward of Evin’s prison along with their charges and convictions. These names were completed and sent to us by colleagues and families of prisoners.
There are about 60 political prisoners in the women’s ward of Evin’s prison. Some of these women prisoners sentenced and some are under temporary and indefinite detention. Among the undecided political prisoners, there are prisoners who arrested for the second time for an unknown reason and not assigned yet.
Many of these women are more than 50 years old and suffer from various diseases such as heart disease, respiratory disease, and also special diseases. Some of the women political prisoners are political prisoners of the 60s who have years of torture and imprisonment in the prisons of the 60s. Some women political prisoners are from the families of martyrs and executed in the sixties.
The women’s ward of Evin prison has a dense population despite its low capacity. Several women political prisoners imprisoned in the women’s ward of Evin prison have children, and periodic restrictions on contact and visits cause problems for them.
-Sudabah Fakharzadeh, 65 years old, charge: “Assembly and collusion to act against national security”, sentence: 5 years, date of last arrest: 2022.
-Zainab Hamrang, 54 years old, retired teacher. Charge: “Assembly and collusion to act against national security”, sentence: 5 years, date of last arrest: 2022.
-Shiva Esmaili, 58 years old, charge: “Assembly and collusion to act against national security”, sentence: 10 years, date of last arrest: 2022.
-Parveen Mirasan, 66 years old, charges: “Moharebeh, corruption on Earth, membership in illegal groups and community and collusion to act against national security”, temporary and indefinite detention, date of last detention: 2022.
-Arghvan Fallahi, 23 years old, charge: “Assembly and collusion to commit crimes against internal and external security and propaganda against the system”, temporary and indefinite detention, date of last detention: 2022.
-Tahere Nouri, one of the detainees of the nationwide uprising of 2022. Charge: “Assembly and collusion with the intention of disrupting national security”, disturbance of public order, sentence: 5 years, 2022.
-Fatemeh (Houri) Ziaei Azad, one of the political prisoners of the 1980s, a supporter of the People’s Mujahideen, charge: “Assembly, collusion and propaganda against the system”, conviction: -, date of last arrest: 2022.
-Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraei, 43 years old, charge: “Assembly, collusion and propaganda against the regime”, sentence: 6 years, 2022.
-Mahvash Edalati, a Baha’i citizen, charge: “propaganda against the system, community and collusion to act against national security”, sentence: three years and seven months, 2023
-Shadi Shahidzadeh, a Baha’i citizen, accused of “membership in an illegal group with the intention of disrupting the security of the country”, sentence: 5 years, 2023
-Sepideh Keshavarz, Baha’i citizen, charge: “propaganda against the system, community and collusion to act against national security”, sentence: one year, 2023
-Forough Taghipour, 29 years old, charge: unknown, temporary and undecided detention, date of last detention: 2023.
-Marzieh Farsi, 59 years old, charge: unknown, temporary and undecided detention, date of last detention: 2023.
-Zahra Safai, one of the political prisoners of the 1980s, a supporter of the Mojahedin Khalq, 61 years old. Charge: unknown, temporary and undecided detention, date of last detention: 2023.
-Azar Karvandi, one of the political prisoners of the 1980s, a supporter of the Mojahedin-e-Khalq. Charge: “Association and collusion through cooperation with the Mojahedin-e-Khalq organization and propaganda against the system”. Sentence: 5 years, last detention; 2023.
-Saha Mortezaei, detainee of the national uprising of 2009, student. Charge: “Assembly and collusion to act against national security”, sentence: 6 years, last arrest: 2023.
-Nasrin Javadi Khezri, 65 years old, charge: “Assembly and collusion to act against the security of the country and propaganda against the regime”, sentence: 7 years, date of last arrest: 2023.
-Shakila Monfared, 30 years old, charge: “Membership in opposition groups, encouraging public opinion”, sentence: 6 years, date of last arrest: 2023.
-Rezvaneh Khan Baygi, charge: Propaganda against the regime, temporary and indefinite detention, date of last detention: 2023.
-Narges Mohammadi, vice president of the Human Rights Defenders Association. Charge: “propaganda against the regime”, sentence: 9 years and 5 months, date of last arrest: 2022.
-Rayhane Ansarinejad, worker, charge: “Assembly and collusion with the intention of acting against the security of the country”, sentence: 4 years, date of last arrest: 2023.
-Hoda (Zohreh) Touhidi, journalist, detained in the nationwide uprising of 2022. Charge: “Assembly and conspiracy to act against national security”, sentence: one year, date of last arrest: 2023.
-Zahra Touhidi, journalist, detained in the nationwide uprising of 2022. Charge: “Assembly and conspiracy to act against national security”, sentence: one year, date of last arrest: 2023.
-Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, daughter of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Charge: “Assembly and collusion against the security of the country, propagandistic activity against the Islamic Republic system. And also disruption of public order and peace by participating in illegal gatherings”. Sentence: 5 years, date of last arrest: 2022.
-Nilofar Bayani, environmental activist, charge: “collaboration with hostile countries”, sentence: 10 years and 4 months, date of last arrest: 2020.
-Mahvash Shahriari, Baha’i citizen, 70 years old, charge: “Establishing or managing an illegal organization”. Sentence: 10 years, date of last arrest: 2022.
-Fariba Kamalabadi, Baha’i citizen, 61 years old, charge: “Establishing or managing an illegal organization”. Sentence: 10 years, date of last arrest: 2022.
-Mahbobeh Rezaei, Accusation: “Assembly and collusion with the intention of disrupting the security of the country, campaigning against the regime, encouraging others to commit corruption, insulting Islamic holy things in cyberspace, and membership and activity in anti-regime groups”, temporary and indefinite detention. Last arrest: 2023.
-Sepideh Kashani, environmental activist, charge: “espionage”, sentence: 6 years, date of last arrest: February 2017.
-Nahid Taghavi, architect, 68 years old, charge: “Participation in the administration of an illegal group and propaganda activity against the regime”, sentence: 10 years, date of last arrest: 2020
-Maryam Haj Hosseini, 51 years old, charge: “espionage”, sentence: 10 years, date of last arrest: 2019.
-Masoumeh Akbari, women’s rights activist, charge: propaganda against the social system and conspiracy to act against national security. Sentence: 5 years, date of last arrest: –
-Bahareh Hedayat, 42 years old, reformist, “propaganda activity against the system, society and collusion”. Sentence: 4 years, date of last arrest: 2022.
-Nasim Gholami Simiari, 35 years old, charge: -, temporary and indefinite detention, date of last detention: 2023.
-Fatemeh Mokhtari Accusation: “Assembly and collusion to commit crimes and against security, to propagate against the system and insult the leadership.” Temporary and indefinite detention, the last date of detention, 2022.
-Farahanaz Nikkho, employee of Telecommunication Department, charge: -, conviction: -, date of last arrest: 2022.
-Masoumeh (Farah) Nasaji, 61 years old, charge: -, sentence: 5 years, date of last arrest: 2021
-Elahe Mohammadi, journalist, charge: “collaboration with the American government, collusion against the country’s security and propaganda against the regime”. Term of sentence: 6 years, last arrest: 2022.
-Nilufar Hamedi, journalist, charge: “collaboration with the American government, collusion against the country’s security and propaganda against the regime”. Term of sentence: 7 years, last arrest: 2022.
-Zohreh Sarve, 37 years old, charge: “propaganda against the system and society and collusion”. Term of sentence: 6 years, last arrest: 2021.
-Samaneh Norozmoradi, 37 years old, charge: “Assembly and collusion through the management of a Telegram channel and propaganda against the regime”, undecided and temporary detention, last detention: 2023.
-Sepideh Gholian, 28 years old, charge: “insulting the leadership”, sentence: 2 years, last arrest: 2022.
-Sarvnaz Ahmadi, women’s activist, charge: “Assembly and collusion with the intention of disrupting national security and propagating against the regime”. Sentence: 3 years, last arrest: 2022.
-Manijzheh Moazen, translator and journalist of Sharq, charge: -, temporary and indefinite detention, last detention: 2023.
-Raheleh Rahmipour, one of the families of the martyrs of the freedom movement in the 1980s, charge: “propaganda against the system and society and collusion with the intention of disrupting national security”. Sentence: 5 years, date of last arrest: 2023.
-Kobra Bigi.
-Nagin Najaf Rostami.
-Vahideh Rabbani.
-Maryam Asadi.
-Manizheh Nosrati.
-Farkhunde Ahmadian.
-Zahra Najjar.
There is little information about some women political prisoners locked in the women’s ward of Evin prison, which will publish after the information completed.
https://en.iranhrs.org/names-of-50-female-political-prisoners-in-irans-evin-prison/
27 November 2023 :
November 24, 2023 - Mother of executed protester arrested for wailing at his funeral.
According to information obtained by IHR, protester Milad Zohrevand’s body was laid to rest in a Christian (Armenian) cemetery in Hamedan amidst heavy security presence on 24 November. His mother, Afsaneh Zohrevand was arrested and detained for hours.
A source told IHR: “Milad was buried in the Armenian cemetery, they didn’t allow him to be buried in a Muslim one. Security forces were present and wouldn’t let anyone take photos and videos. They also didn’t allow them to print notices or distribute dates (per custom). They wouldn’t even permit anyone to cry and wail. His mother was arrested for wailing.”
Milad Zohrevand was a Malayer protester who was arrested on 27 October 2022, the 40 days anniversary of Jina (Mahsa) Amini’s death which sparked protests across Iran. He was secretly executed in Hamedan Central Prison on 22 November 2023.
Milad Zohrevand was the eighth “Woman, Life, Freedom” protester executed. Mohsen Shekari, Majidreza Rahnavard, Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, Mohammad Mehdi Karami, Saleh Mirhashemi, Saeed Yaghoubi and Majid Kazemihave all been executed since December 2022.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6354/
22 November 2023 :
November 14, 2023 - An Iranian court has confirmed the death sentence of 22-year-old Milad Zohrevand, a protester detained during last year's nationwide unrest, sparking concerns his execution may be imminent.
Hossein Khanjani, the prosecutor for the western city of Hamedan, told the Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), on November 13 that "one of the branches of the Supreme Court has confirmed the retribution sentence" against one of the defendants accused of killing Ali Nazari, a member of the IRGC intelligence service in Hamedan.
The judiciary's Mizan news agency published a similar report.
While Khanjani did not identify Zohrevand as the defendant, Dadban, a platform that provides free legal counsel to protesters and victims, referring to the prosecutor's statements in a post on social media, announced that "the Supreme Court has confirmed the death sentence against Milad Zohrehvand, a 22-year-old from Malayer."
He was charged with being involved in the death of an IRGC member during protests last year in Hamedan Province over the death of Mahsa Amini. Rights groups have questioned the charges.
"Zohrevand's death sentence was confirmed in the Supreme Court while, according to informed sources, he was denied access to a lawyer during his detention, and during this time his family was under severe pressure from the IRGC Intelligence Organization not to disseminate information about him," Dadban said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Khanjani emphasized that "legal procedures are ongoing for sending to the prosecutor's office of Hamedan Province and the implementation of the sentence."
Those words and the fact that the rate of executions in Iran has been rising sharply, particularly in the wake of widespread protests that swept across the country last year following the death of Amini in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation, triggered fears among rights activists that Zohrevand's execution may come soon.
Zohrevand was charged in the death of Ali Nazari, an IRGC agent who was part of the security forces trying to suppress street protests that occurred after a gathering of students at the Malayer Faculty of Medical Sciences following Amini's death.
The day after Nazari's death, Hossein Farsi, the deputy governor of Malayer, said that "about five people with covered faces" were seen in a car near where he was shot, but some of them "fled upon seeing law enforcement and security forces."
Security officials said six people were arrested in connection with the case.
Zohrevand was said to be one of those in the car. The opposition activist collective 1500tasvir said he was arrested under the fabricated scenario of "killing a government agent."
Since his arrest in Malayer on October 26, 2022, no information about his physical and mental condition has been available" and his family is also "under severe pressure," 1500tasvir said.
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protester-execution-imminent/32684458.html
09 November 2023 :
NOVEMBER 8, 2023 - Jailed Nobel Peace Prize Winner Mohammadi Taken to Hospital – Without Hijab
Iranian authorities transferred Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate who is incarcerated in Tehran’s Evin prison, to a hospital after she launched a hunger strike earlier this week, her husband says.
Taghi Rahmani said on November 8 that the human rights activist “was taken to the hospital without the mandatory hijab for medical tests.”
Rahmani, who is a political activist, said that the prison doctor's had recommended her "immediate hospitalization" due to a "50-percent blockage of two heart vessels.”
Mohammadi had been prevented from receiving medical treatment because she refused to wear a head covering for a hospital visit.
She began a hunger strike on November 6 over being blocked along with other inmates from getting medical care and to protest the Islamic Republic’s mandatory headscarf rules for women, her family said.
Hours before her transfer to hospital, seven fellow women inmates started their own hunger strike “in a resolute display of solidarity with Mohammadi and to protest the enduring injustices of the oppressive government,” according to a post on Mohammadi’s Instagram page, which is managed by her relatives
Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last month for keeping up her fight against the “oppression of women” in her country despite numerous arrests and spending years behind bars.
On November 7, the Norwegian Nobel Committee expressed deep concern about the activist’s health and urged the authorities to provide her and other female inmates with “whatever medical assistance they may need.”
“The requirement that female inmates must wear a hijab in order to be hospitalized, is inhumane and morally unacceptable,” Berit Reiss-Andersen, who chairs the committee, said in a statement. “Narges Mohammadi's initiation of a hunger strike demonstrates the seriousness of the situation.”
07 November 2023 :
November 6, 2023 - More than 200 Experts Urge United Nations to Protest Iran’s Chairing of UNHRC Social Forum
The recent designation of Iran to chair the UNHRC Social Forum, an important international event dedicated to human rights, has caused a stir in the world of NGOs and human rights organizations, who have addressed, with an open letter, the United Nations summits.
"In a concerning turn of events, Iran’s human rights record, marred by allegations of gross violations and systematic abuses, has prompted an open letter from over 200 international human rights and legal experts, Nobel laureates, and individuals of conscience. These prominent voices have come together to call upon the United Nations (UN) to address the appointment of the Iranian regime as the Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Social Forum. This decision has triggered alarm and condemnation due to Iran’s dubious human rights record and its role in regional instability and conflict. The open letter emphasized the need for a collective response to this unsettling development.
Impact on Global Peace and Human Rights
The signatories stated: “Appointing the representative of such a regime as the Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Social Forum will be seen by the clerical regime as a green light for more torture and killing and assures its suppressive forces that they will not be held accountable for their crimes.”
“This platform is given to the Iranian regime at a time when in addition to the flagrant violation of human rights in Iran, it plays the biggest role in wreaking havoc in the Middle East region causing the death and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people on both sides in recent days.”
This development jeopardizes regional and global peace and egregiously violates the core principles upon which the United Nations was founded.
A Call to Action
The open letter urged representatives of all democratic countries and human rights advocates to stand against the appointment of the Iranian regime as the chairman of the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum. By refraining from attending such a meeting and voicing their dissent, they can send a clear message that the international community will not tolerate the endorsement of a regime notorious for its atrocities.
The appointment of Iran to chair the UNHRC Social Forum should be seen as a call to action, an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of human rights and the principles upon which the United Nations was founded.
Statement to the United Nations
In an undemocratic process, the religious dictatorship ruling Iran, one of the biggest violators of human rights in the world today, has taken over the chairmanship of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Social Forum, which is scheduled to be held on November 2n and 3, 2023 in Geneva.
This platform is given to the Iranian regime at a time when in addition to the flagrant violation of human rights in Iran, it plays the biggest role in wreaking havoc in the Middle East region causing the death and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people on both sides in recent days.
Taking over the United Nations platform by a regime notorious for committing massacre, carrying out executions, and spreading war is a dagger to the heart of human rights, fueling terrorism and endangering regional and global peace. It egregiously violates the very principles upon which the United Nations has been founded and for which millions of people have sacrificed their lives. This represents a dark stain in the history of the United Nations.
The United Nations has condemned this regime in 69 resolutions for gross and systematic violation of human rights. The clerical regime has executed more than 600 people in the first 10 months of 2023, murdered 750 protesters during the 2022 uprising and 1,500 more during the 2019 uprising. On November 24, 2022, the Human Rights Council established an international fact-finding commission to investigate the regime’s blatant violations during the 2022 uprising. On December 15, 2022, the United Nations General Assembly condemned the brutal and systematic violations of human rights in Iran. On April 4, 2023, the Human Rights Council condemned the human rights abuses in Iran and renewed the mission of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran.
Appointing the representative of such a regime as the Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Social Forum will be seen by the clerical regime as a green light for more torture and killing and assures its suppressive forces that they will not be held accountable for their crimes.
We ask the representatives of all democratic countries and all human rights advocates to protest the Iranian regime becoming the chairman of UN human rights body and refrain from attending such a meeting".
07 November 2023 :
November 6, 2023 - On November 6, Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a prominent political prisoner detained at Evin Prison, commenced a hunger strike in protest of the prison’s failure to offer her the necessary medical care.
Just last week, Mohammadi was denied access to medical treatment at an outside hospital due to her refusal to adhere to compulsory hijab requirements during the transfer to the medical facility.
It is noteworthy that Mohammadi has a history of prior arrests and convictions linked to her activism. In October 2020, she was released from Zanjan Prison after enduring approximately five and a half years of imprisonment. However, her ordeal persisted as she faced another legal case, culminating in a sentence of 30 months of imprisonment, 80 lashes, and two fines.
On November 16, 2021, Mohammadi was arrested once again during a commemorative event honoring Ebrahim Ketabdar, who had lost his life during the November 2019 protests in Karaj. Subsequently, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court handed down a staggering eight-year prison sentence, accompanied by seventy-four lashes, two years of exile, and various social restrictions.
Adding to her ordeal, Mohammadi received an additional one-year prison sentence in early August, stemming from a new case initiated during her incarceration.
https://www.en-hrana.org/nobel-peace-prize-laureate-narges-mohammadi-initiates-hunger-strike/
05 November 2023 :
NOVEMBER 3, 2023 - Jamshid Sharmahd in Critical Health Condition
The daughter of Jamshid Sharmahd, a German-Iranian man sentenced to death in Iran, says his health condition has deteriorated to a point where he can hardly speak or take a few steps.
Gazelle Sharmahd made the comments on the social media platform X on November 2, after the inmate was allowed to make a rare phone call to his wife.
“After 1185 days torture in solitary confinement my mom could barely understand him, his voice so weak that it was hard to make out his words, his heart so weak that he could barely take a few steps in his cell without exhaustion and stabbing pains,” Gazelle Sharmahd. “His first words were ‘what are they doing to get me out of here?’”
The family of Sharmahd, who also has US residency, says he was abducted by Iranian authorities in the United Arab Emirates in July 2020 and forcibly transferred to Iran.
He was accused of heading a pro-monarchist group they blame for a deadly 2008 bombing and planning other attacks in the country – charges Sharmahd denies.
His death sentence, which was announced in February amid an increase in executions in Iran, was condemned by Germany and human rights groups. The German government ordered two employees of the Iranian embassy in Berlin to leave the country in protest, which was followed by a similar move by Tehran.
“My heart is split in half, excited for the sign of life even though Germany and the US, his governments that should have saved him, left him for 3.5 years to suffer in pain,” Gazelle Sharmahd wrote. “At the same time, I am terrified that the regime is allowing him this call because even they can tell that Jimmy won’t survive the brutal conditions any longer. Could it be a way to remove their direct responsibility from his health deterioration or even potential passing under pain?”
“Which government can tell me what they will do to save him, save the dozens of hostages in Iran, let alone the hundreds of hostages now in Gaza?” she asked.
Western governments have repeatedly accused the Islamic Republic of taking dual and foreign nationals hostage for the sole purpose of using them in prisoner swaps or as a bargaining chip in international negotiations.
https://iranwire.com/en/prisoners/122161-german-on-irans-death-row-in-critical-health-condition/
06 November 2023 :
NOVEMBER 2, 2023 - Dissident Iranian Composer Receives UN Award for “Courageous” Work
Mehdi Rajabian
A dissident Iranian composer who has been jailed three times for his music has won the United Nations’ second annual International Art Contest for Minority Artists.
The honor was presented to Mehdi Rajabian in absentia on November 2 because he is unable to leave Iran.
“This is an important award,” Rajabian said in a statement, adding, “Happiness is a collective event, and unfortunately no one is happy here [in Iran].”
“The situation has become completely different after the recent protests. No award can be a criterion for determining the artistic value of an artist, but it can definitely be a platform for the voice of human rights and freedom of art.”
The award went to three “minority artists working on themes relating to intersectionality and compounded forms of discrimination,” according to the website of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR).
Claude Cahn, a UN human rights officer, said that the judges were moved by Rajabian’s bravery, resilience and commitment, according to Billboard, which publishes a news website and weekly magazine that covers music, video and home entertainment.
“In the views of the judges panel, at the risk of his health and own life, he has used his spirit and music to be a human rights light in the darkness,” he said.
Sverre Pedersen, the executive committee chair of the nongovernmental organization Freemuse and Minority Rights Group International, a partner in the contest, said that Rajabian “continues his artistic work and his courageous human rights work” despite being under “constant surveillance” and “often subjected to harassment and threats.”
Rajabian was arrested in 2013, put in solitary confinement for three months, released on bail and arrested again in 2015 for recording the album The History of Iran Narrated By Setar.
In Tehran’s Evin prison, the artist began a 40-day hunger strike that led to his release on parole in 2017.
Rajabian was arrested again in 2020, but not imprisoned, because of his album Middle Eastern. He was accused of “encouraging prostitution” because female vocalists sang on the album, according to the composer.
04 November 2023 :
November 2, 2023 - 2 women and a man sentenced to death for adultery
Leila Khalghi Sakachayi, Mitra … and Abolfazl Barat Vakili
On 22 August 2023, branch 5 of the Tehran Criminal Court has sentenced Leila Khalghi Sakachayi and Abolfazl Barat Vakili to hanging for adultery charges.
According to the court verdict received by IHR, secret recordings that were filmed without her knowledge were used as evidence against both Leila and Abolfazl. Leila was arrested on 1st January 2023 and is currently held in Ward 5 of Qarchak Prison.
They were sentenced to hanging for adultery based on Articles 2, 12, 14, 15, 140, 141, 160, 162, 211, 221, 225 and 226 of the Islamic Penal Code.
According to Iran newspaper, another woman has also been sentenced to death for adultery charges by Branch 12 of the Tehran Criminal Court. Only identified as Mitra, her husband had also filed the complaint against her based on video recordings. The man in the case, who was named as Khosro, has received a lashing sentence.
Sex outside of marriage is criminalised by the Islamic Republic and if one party is married, it is considered adultery with the married party receiving the death penalty.
IHR once again draws the international community’s urgent attention to the increasingly high death sentences and executions in Iran. Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “The international community shouldn’t tolerate executions being carried out for consensual sex or the expression of an opinion in the 21st Century by a government that has a seat at the United Nations.”
“Unfortunately, the international community’s lack of appropriate response to the executions of a man for adultery and two men for blasphemy charges in spring, encouraged Islamic Republic authorities to increase the number of such sentences. The political cost of such executions can be raised by civil society campaigns and political pressure by the international community,” he added.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6283/
01 November 2023 :
October 30, 2023 - During the past month (October), the execution sentences of at least 78 prisoners were carried out in the Islamic Republic of Iran's prisons. Compared to the prior month (September), the statistics show 51 more cases of execution, equal to a 65 percent rise. There were 27 registered executions in September. Moderately five executions were carried out per two days.
According to the registered information at the center for statistics and documentation of the Hengaw organization for human rights, during October 2023, 78 death sentences were carried out in Iran's prisons, most of which were related to inmates accused of drug-related crimes.
According to the data mentioned, Baloch prisoners executed 23 percent of the total death sentences. The data also shows the execution of 4 Kurd and 4 Turk prisoners, as well as 5 Afghan citizens.
Most of the executions were performed in Alborz province prisons, with 22 registered cases. Other than this, there were 10 cases in Kerman province prisons, 8 cases in Fars province prisons, 6 cases in southern Khorasan province, 5 cases in Isfahan province, and 4 cases in Gilan province. The rest of the cases are reported in other provinces.
Most of the death sentences were handed down to prisoners under drug-related crime allegations, which included 35 cases, or 45 percent of the total.
On charges of premeditated murder: 33 cases
On charges of drug-related crimes: 35 cases
charges of rape: 4 cases
Unknown charges: 6 cases
29 October 2023 :
October 29, 2023 - Armita Garavand was buried amid tight security in Tehran on October 29.
Nasrin Sotoudeh was beaten and arrested at the funeral
Unconfirmed reports say several people, including two of Garavand’s relatives, were arrested during the ceremony at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in southern Tehran.
Civil rights activist Reza Khandan told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda that his wife, prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, was beaten and detained at the funeral.
"A number of participants were arrested and beaten up. Nasrin was among them," Khandan said by phone from Tehran.
RFE/RL's Radio Farda published amateur footage from Garavand's funeral.
He added that a number of those detained had been released, although others, including Sotoudeh, remained in detention. He said he hasn't been able to contact her.
Sotoudeh has previously been arrested and jailed after representing opposition activists, including women prosecuted for removing their mandatory headscarves.
Video clips published on social media showed a large crowds of people - both men and women - attending the burial ceremony.
Iran’s state media had reported Garavand’s death on October 28, nearly a month after she fell and went into a coma in the Tehran subway.
A relative told Radio Farda that “security agents” had told the family they would be given Garavand's body under the condition that the burial be held in Tehran and not in their native village in the western province of Kermanshah.
"We live in Tehran, but we don't bury our dead [here]. We hope to receive Armita's body,” the family member had said.
Rights groups and journalists say Garavand and two of her friends were confronted on October 1 by police officers for not wearing the mandatory hijab as they tried to enter a Tehran subway station.
One of the friends has said the officers physically assaulted Garavand, who later fell unconscious after entering a subway carriage. Officials have said Garavand suffered a sudden drop in blood pressure, fainted, and fell to the floor, hitting her head.
A source at Fajr Hospital, who spoke to Radio Farda on condition of anonymity due to security reasons, said shortly after the incident that Garavand suffered internal bleeding in the brain.
"Unfortunately, she went into a coma for some time after suffering from brain damage. She died a few minutes ago," the official government news agency IRNA said on October 28.
State media has shown Garavand's parents speaking of various potential causes for their daughter's fall and injury.
It is not clear if the statements were made under duress, but the Hengaw human rights group, which first reported the incident, said on October 5 that Garavand's mother, Shahin Ahmadi, had been detained temporarily by Iranian government security forces.
Earlier this month, Amini and the Women, Life, Freedom movement in Iran that was triggered by her death were awarded this year's Sakharov Prize, the European Parliament’s top rights award, the second honor bestowed upon Iranian women this month for their sometimes deadly struggle for human rights after activist Narges Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize.
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-garawand-teenager-morality-police-subway-death/32657612.html
28 October 2023 :
October 28, 2023 - Teenage Armita Garavand (Geravand) Dies In Hospital
Armita Garavand, a 16-year-old student who suffered a head injury in an encounter with Tehran’s hijab police has passed away in hospital, reports said on Saturday.
On October 1st, Armita, a high school student, fell into a coma after she was stopped by hijab enforcers in Tehran subway. Although, the government prevented any clear information about what took place, but apparently a woman agent pushed her and Armita fell, receiving a severe head injury.
There was a tight police cordon around her in Tehran's Fajr Hospital to prevent photographs or information from reaching the public. Earlier reports in the Iranian state media indicated that the 16-year-old was brain dead.
Earlier, Iran International received information that Armita Garavand 's family faced pressure from authorities to relocate her body discreetly from Tehran to Jafar Abad, Kermanshah, in the event of her death, revealing it was at the order of Iran's Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Following the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022, the Iranian clerical regime is apprehensive about a resurgence of the extended anti-establishment protests and the 'Women, Life, Freedom movement' seen last year.
The circumstances of Garavand 's case closely resemble those of Mahsa Amini's death last year while she was in the custody of morality police. In both instances, the regime denied any wrongdoing but pressured the families to refrain from speaking to the media.
The regime's explanation of what caused the death of this teenage girl has been questioned on social media. Many emphasize that she was "killed" by hijab enforcers, much like Mahsa Amini's case, when the government tried to offer an explanation that she had pre-existing health issues, but the public did not believe it.
Information obtained by Iran International had indicated that additional family members and relatives of Armita Garavand had been threatened and are prohibited from discussing her condition with the media.
There were concerns among the Garavand family and their relatives that security agents might have installed eavesdropping devices or cameras inside their residences, causing them to feel unsafe in their own homes.
Moreover, her parents were required to sign a statement committing not to file a complaint against "any individual, organization, or entity."
Her death has triggered a flood of swift reactions from activists, journalists, and others who have turned to social media to protest against the regime and mourn her passing.
Behnam Gholipour, journalist, wrote on X: "The [political] system that killed this sweet girl is the flagbearer for Gaza."
Political commentator Sadegh Zibakalam in Iran also expressed condolences to Armita's family following her passing, saying: "I hope her death will cause the system to reconsider its stance on compulsory hijab. How many Mahsas and young Armitas must be buried before the authorities accept that you cannot force people to wear the hijab or remove it?"
Iran's parliament passed a stringent 'hijab bill' on the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in mid-September, which, if violated, can result in ten years' imprisonment. Women have been required to wear the hijab by Iran's theocratic establishment since 1979, when the secular Shah was overthrown. However, the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement has permitted more women to appear unveiled in public places, including malls, restaurants, and stores.
In response to the hospitalization of Armita Garavand, Amnesty International has asked the international community to urge the Iranian authorities to allow an independent international delegation, including UN experts, to investigate the incident.
On the case of Armita Garavand see also Hands Off Cain 04/10/2023, 12/10/2023, 22/10/2023.
Teenage Iranian Girl Injured In Hijab Incident Dies In Hospital | Iran International (iranintl.com)
23 October 2023 :
October 22, 2023 - Armita Garavand's Family Implicitly Confirms Brain Death
Following the release of a report concerning Armita Garavand, a 16-year-old who fell into a coma 21 days ago after an encounter with enforcement officials regarding hijab regulations, her family indirectly confirmed this information during an interview with Hengaw.
On Sunday, October 22, 2023, Armita's father, Bahman Garavand, shared in an interview with Hengaw: "Armita's medical team has informed us that her brain is no longer functioning, and there is no hope of recovery." While not explicitly using the term "brain death," Armita's father indicated that her physical condition has remained unchanged since her admission, and medical experts have expressed pessimism regarding her recovery.
Yesterday, the Tasnim news agency, linked to the IRGC, issued a report titled "Confirmation of Armita Garavand's Brain Death." This report did not offer specific details about the events of the past 21 days but reiterated earlier claims that she was not subjected to physical abuse by authorities, citing isolated assurances.
As previously reported by Hengaw, Armita has not undergone any surgical procedures since her initial admission due to her deteriorating condition.
In line with our prior coverage, the interviews with friends, family, and eyewitnesses at the "Shohada" subway station, pertaining to the circumstances leading to Armita Garavand's injuries, which were published in government-controlled media, have been under the control of security authorities and remain unverifiable.
On the morning of Sunday, October 1, 2023, Armita Garavand, a 16-year-old originally from Kermanshah and residing in Tehran, encountered a physical altercation with morality police in the "Shohada" subway in Tehran due to non-compliance with mandatory hijab rules. Subsequently, she collapsed and was admitted to Fajr Hospital. Both her hospitalization room and the hospital itself have been subjected to stringent security measures.
This incident raises significant human rights concerns, underscoring a severe violation of Armita Garavand's civil liberties, including her right to freedom of choice and personal opinions. Her non-compliance with mandatory hijab regulations resulted in physical harm, constituting a breach of her fundamental rights.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/armita-garavands-family-implicitly-confirms-brain-death
20 October 2023 :
OCTOBER 19, 2023 - The EU parliament has awarded its prestigious Sakharov Prize to Mahsa Amini and the Women, Life, Freedom protest movement in Iran that was sparked by the death of the 22-year-old.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced the 2023 laureate on October 19, saying that the chamber “proudly stands with the brave and defiant who continue to fight for equality, dignity and freedom in Iran.”
“We stand with those who, even from prison, continue to keep Women, Life and Freedom alive,” she told parliament. “By choosing them as laureates for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2023, this House remembers their struggle and continues to honour all those who have paid the ultimate price for liberty.ʺ
Amini died in Tehran in September 2022 while in police custody, three days after she was arrested for an alleged hijab infraction.
Her death triggered protests that spread across the country and rapidly escalated into calls for the overthrow of Iran’s four-decade-old Islamic theocracy.
Authorities responded with a brutal crackdown in which more than 500 people were killed and over 22,000 others were unlawfully detained, according to activists.
The 27-nation EU has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Iranian officials and entities for their involvement in the clamdown on the women-led protests.
Mahsa Amini and the Women, Life, Freedom movement were awarded the Sakharov Prize just weeks after imprisoned Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the “oppression of women” in her country and for promoting “human rights and freedom for all.”
24 October 2023 :
October 16, 2023 - Renewed death sentence for political prisoner Naeb Askari
According to IHRS, political prisoner Naeb Askari was sentenced to death again by the judiciary. The official notification of this sentence was delivered to him on Monday, October 16, 2023. This verdict is the result of an unfair and unlawful judicial process.
Last court session for this political prisoner was held on September 27, without his right to have a lawyer. Naeb Askari, from Urmia, was arrested by the intelligence agents of the Urmia Revolutionary Guards on March 24, 2021. It is said that he had been residing in Kurdistan for several years and was sentenced to death by the Urmia Revolutionary Court in 2018 on charges of membership in the Pjak organization in absentia.
This political prisoner suffers from kidney stones, but prison officials have prevented him from receiving treatment outside the prison. He has been deprived of access to medical services so far.
On December 12, 2021, Naeb Askari, along with other political prisoners, started a hunger strike in protest of their transfer to the maximum security ward.
In March of 2022, Naeb Askari along with another political prisoner Shaker Behrouz also started a hunger strike and was transferred to solitary confinement.
After a clash between political prisoners and common criminals in August of 2022, Naeb Askari, along with several other political prisoners, was sentenced to 50 lashes and also 3 months in prison on charges of disrupting prison order.
https://en.iranhrs.org/renewed-death-sentence-for-political-prisoner/
24 October 2023 :
October 12, 2023 - Reza Rasaei is sentenced to death for Moharebeh (Waging war on God)
Reza Rasaei, a 34-year-old activist and participant in the nationwide protests of 2022, has been sentenced to execution on the charge of murdering Nader Beyrami, the head of the Intelligence Organization of the Revolutionary Guards in the city of Sahneh, Kermanshah. The verdict for Mr. Rasaei was issued by the Second Branch of the Criminal Court in Kermanshah province.
Reza Rasaei is a Kurdish citizen and a follower of the Yarsanism faith. Despite the lack of evidence and documentation to prove his guilt, this verdict was issued under pressure from the Iranian regime’s head of the judiciary. Throughout the entire detention period, Mr. Rasaei has been deprived of his basic rights, including access to legal representation and in-person visits.
Iran’s Judiciary has charged Reza Rasai with Moharebeh. It is also holding this young man responsible for the killing of Nader Beirami. The state has also condemned Mr. Rasai for acting against national security and attempting to escape from the police. Since his arrest to date, Mr. Rasai has been subjected to the most brutal torture. The torturers have broken Reza’s toes and his ribs to force him to confess to the killing.
According to a witness, the moment Nader Beirami was killed, and the crowd surrounded him, Reza stood next to me with a placard. He went forward to see what had happened. I had recently been beaten and injured. Reza wanted to be by my side and help. He was not involved at all. They recognized him because he had previously campaigned to release his cousin (his uncle’s son,) who had political activities. So, they arrested him immediately.
The Ahl-e Haqq minority in Iran is not recognized as an independent religion by the regime’s Constitution. Its adherents are deprived of many political and social rights.
The IHR Monitor (IranHRM) draws the attention of the international community to the fact that the Iranian judiciary is hastily handing down death sentences to protesters while the war in the Middle East has dominated the headlines. Human Rights organizations should take appropriate action to prevent the regime from perpetrating its crimes.
https://iran-hrm.com/2023/10/12/reza-rasaei-is-sentenced-to-death-for-moharebeh-waging-war-on-god/
20 October 2023 :
October 12, 2023 - The medical team at Fajr Hospital in Tehran has informed Armita Garavand's family that it is nearly impossible to restore their child's health, as her condition has remained unchanged during the past eleven days that she has been in a coma.
According to the report received by the Hengaw Organization For Human Rights, On Thursday, October 12, 2023, the doctors at Fajar Hospital, while emphasizing the medical impossibility of treating Armita Garavand, expressed their disappointment in the treatment of this 16-year-old girl who has fallen victim to compulsory hijab.
According to a source close to Armita Garavand's family, this teenage girl has not undergone any surgery since the first day due to the deterioration of her condition, and the hospital has solely focused on maintaining her vital signs.
The source added that six doctors who have assessed Armita's condition have explicitly stated, "Armita's life and death are in God's hands, and we should maintain faith in God."
Armita Garavand's family continues to experience ongoing psychological distress due to their child's condition, as well as the monitoring and pressure from security institutions.
Armita Garavand has been in a coma for eleven days, having been intubated and connected to a ventilator immediately after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Her vital signs are continuously monitored, but as of the last day, they have become unstable, raising concerns about her prognosis.
On the morning of Sunday, October 1, 2023, Armita Garavand, a 16-year-old originally from Kermanshah and residing in Tehran, was physically assaulted by officers at the "Shohada" metro station in Tehran for non-compliance with mandatory hijab. She was subsequently transported to Fajr Hospital in the city. The location of her hospitalization has remained under stringent security measures to this day.
In the context of human rights, this incident represents a severe infringement upon citizenship rights and the freedom of choice and individual opinions. Armita Garavand has suffered physical harm as a result of her decision not to wear the mandatory hijab, and her fundamental rights have been violated.
06 October 2023 :
OCTOBER 6, 2023 - Jailed Iranian Activist Mohammadi Wins Nobel Peace Prize
Imprisoned Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the “oppression of women” in her country and for promoting “human rights and freedom for all.”
In making the announcement on October 6, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said the prize also recognizes “the hundreds of thousands of people who, in the preceding year, have demonstrated against Iran’s theocratic regime’s policies of discrimination and oppression targeting women.”
“The motto adopted by the demonstrators – 'Woman – Life – Freedom' – suitably expresses the dedication and work of Narges Mohammadi,” the committee said.
In a statement to The New York Times, Mohammadi said the “global support and recognition of my human rights advocacy makes me more resolved, more responsible, more passionate and more hopeful.”
“I also hope this recognition makes Iranians protesting for change stronger and more organized,” she added. “Victory is near.”
From behind bars, Mohammadi contributed an opinion piece for the US newspaper in which she wrote: “What the government may not understand is that the more of us they lock up, the stronger we become.”
Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee who announced the prize in Oslo, said that the prize "is first and foremost a recognition of the very important work of a whole movement in Iran with its undisputed leader, Nargis Mohammadi.”
Reiss-Andersen said the committee hopes the prize “is an encouragement to continue the work in whichever form this movement finds to be fitting.” She also urged Iran to release Mohammadi in time for the prize ceremony on December 10.
The freedom fighter has been imprisoned multiple times over the past decade for her civil rights activities. She was most recently arrested in 2022 and sentenced to 10 years 9 months in prison on fabricated charges.
Currently incarcerated in Tehran's Evin prison, Mohammadi has published in the past months numerous letters protesting prison conditions and violence against inmates.
The outspoken activist has received many awards and accolades, including the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize and the Andrei Sakharov Prize of the American Physical Society.
She is the deputy head of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, a non-governmental organization led by Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
The monthslong anti-establishment protests in Iran were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation. The authorities responded to the women-led protest movement with a brutal crackdown that has claimed the lives of more than 500 people. Thousands of others have been unlawfully arrested and prosecuted.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Norway-based Iran Human Rights organization, expressed hope that Mohammadi’s Nobel prize award “will draw the international community’s attention to the Iranian people’s struggle for their fundamental human rights.”
Amiry-Moghaddam said: “For more than 25 years, Narges Mohammadi has been fighting against gender apartheid, the death penalty and discrimination against minorities, and paid the price for it. Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Narges is a recognition of the Iranian people’s struggle for their fundamental rights. Awarding it on the day that Armita Geravand is fighting for her life in a coma because of flouting mandatory hijab laws, is a reminder of the oppression that Iranian girls and women face on a daily basis by the Islamic Republic.”
Mohammadi's husband and two teenage children live abroad.
Many European leaders have expressed satisfaction with this award, but they are the same leaders who have never taken significant political initiatives against the Iranian authorities.
On the case of Narges Mohammadi see also NtC 30/03/2020, 05/05/2020, 16/06/2020, 08/10/2020, 30 March 2021, 23 May 2021, 31 May 2021, 24 January 2022, 7 March 2022 and 12 April 2022.
https://iranwire.com/en/women/121255-jailed-iranian-activist-mohammadi-wins-nobel-peace-prize/
05 October 2023 :
October 4, 2023 - Armita Geravand (Garavand) is a 16-year-old girl who is in a coma at Tehran Air Force’s Fajr Hospital suffering with brain injury following a “violent encounter with metro officers enforcing mandatory hijab.” Maryam Lotfi, a Shargh newspaper journalist sent to report on her story was also arrested to prevent reports of her condition. The only information available is currently through state media and Armita’s parents have already been forced into giving interviews parroting the official narrative.
Iran Human Rights calls for an independent investigation into events that led to the hospitalisation of Armita Geravand. Since the Islamic Republic has a long history of distorting facts and concealing evidence of their crimes, an independent international investigation is crucial to establish the details. The international community must support such an investigation by pressuring the Islamic Republic authorities to accept a UN fact-finding mission.
Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “More than a year after the state murder of Jina (Mahsa) Amini and the start of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, the Islamic Republic continues its harassment and repression of women under the guise of fighting mandatory hijab violations. The international community must not tolerate the Islamic Republic’s gender apartheid.”
“The international community and all countries that adhere to international human rights law, must seriously investigate the cause of Armita Garavand’s condition and the Islamic Republic must hand over all related documents and evidence to the UN’s fact-finding mission,” he added.
16-year-old Armita Geravand was transferred to the Tehran Air Force Fajr Hospital where she is in a coma after passing out at the Shohada metro station in Tehran on 1 October.
The next day, security forces arrested Maryam Lotfi, a journalist from Shargh newspaper who went to the hospital to report on Armita’s condition. She was released hours later.
On 3 October, the Islamic Republic’s IRNA news agency published a forced dictated-interview with Armita’s parents in which her mother stammers as she holds back her tears: “I think they said her blood pressure dropped and her head hit a metro edge as she fell to the ground…”
IRNA also published an edited CCTV clip of a girl being carried out of a train. However footage of her entering the metro station, getting on the train and events leading to her fainting inside the wagon have not been published. This is while all metro stations and trains are equipped with CCTV cameras. Refusing to publish the footage only increases doubts about the official narrative.
According to two separate accounts by witnesses shared online, Armita Geravand was physically assaulted by metro officers enforcing the mandatory hijab before or after entering the train at Shohada station.
Armita Geravand being in a coma after physical assault by state forces for violating mandatory hijab laws is reminiscent of Jina (Mahsa) Amini’s state murder a year ago. Jina was a 22-year-old Kurdish girl who was violently arrested by the morality police on 13 September 2022 and died in their custody on 16 September. Iran Human Rights called it a state murder and called on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to force the Islamic Republic authorities into accepting a UN fact-finding mission.
On 24 November 2022, the UNHRC adopted Resolution S35/1 to establish an International Independent Fact-Finding Mission (FFMI) on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s human rights violations since the start of the “Woman-Life- Freedom” protests.
Iran Human Rights now calls for international community pressure for Iran to allow an investigation team into the country to independently investigate how Armita fell into a coma. If not, they will cover up another crime and the perpetrators will escape accountability again.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6220/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/10/ambiguity-in-armitas-health-condition-and-excessive-pressure-from-government-authorities-on-her-family
04 October 2023 :
02 October 2023 - Assailant of Azerbaijan's embassy in Iran sentenced to death
The individual who carried out an armed attack on Azerbaijan's embassy in Tehran has been sentenced to capital punishment, APA reports citing Azerbaijan Television (AzTV).
It has been reported that the verdict regarding Yasin Huseynzade has been confirmed by Iran's Supreme Court.
Note that as a result of the armed attack on Azerbaijan's embassy in Tehran on January 27, 1 person was killed and 2 others were injured.
The perpetrator passed by the guard post with a Kalashnikov rifle and opened fire inside the embassy, while its staff tried to neutralize him. The head of the embassy's security service, Orkhan Asgarov, was killed in the attack, while two guards were injured.
On January 29, a total of 53 embassy staff and their family members were evacuated to Baku.
30 September 2023 :
September 26, 2023 - Iran sentences 4 to death over bootleg alcohol that killed 17
Iran has sentenced 4 people to death for selling contaminated bootleg alcohol that killed 17 people and sent dozens more to hospital in June, the judiciary said on Tuesday.
The sale and consumption of alcohol has been banned in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, giving rise to a huge illicit trade in smuggled or bootleg alcohol, some of it adulterated with poisonous methanol.
In June, at least 17 people died and 191 were admitted to hospital with symptoms of methanol poisoning after drinking adulterated alcohol.
Judiciary spokesman Massoud Setayeshi said 11 defendants had been charged with the capital offence of corruption on earth over the distribution of the toxic liquor in Alborz province, west of Tehran.
Of the 11, 4 were sentenced to death while the rest received prison sentences of 1 to 5 years, Setayeshi said, adding that the convicts could appeal to the Supreme Court.
In June, authorities said they had raided a cosmetics factory where they had seized more than 6,000 litres (1,585 gallons) of bootleg alcohol preventing its distribution.
Alcohol has been banned in Iran Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but Iranians still drink foreign and homemade alcoholic beverages that are sold on the black market.
Iranians are increasingly turning to cheap homemade alcohol because many can no longer afford to buy foreign-made beverages amid a deepening economic crisis which has seen growing inflation, unemployment and poverty.
Only members of Iran's Christian, Jewish and Zoroastrian minorities are exempt from the alcohol ban. Foreigners are required to respect it.
26 September 2023 :
September 25, 2023 - Death of a Jewish Prisoner with Iranian-American Citizenship Due to Denied Medical Access in Evin Prison
Faramarz Javidzad, an Iranian-American citizen and Jewish prisoner incarcerated in Evin Prison, has tragically passed away as a result of being denied prompt medical care and due to the negligence of prison authorities.
According to the report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Faramarz Javidzad, a 63-year-old resident of Los Angeles, USA, who was suffering from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and bleeding, passed away due to the absence of adequate medical care while in Evin Prison.
According to a source, this dual-citizen prisoner was transferred to the clinic at Evin Prison on the evening of Friday, September 22, of this year, as his health was deteriorating. Despite the urgency of his condition, he did not receive the necessary medical treatment and was subsequently moved to the prison’s general ward after a brief period.
It is worth noting that, prior to this tragic incident, despite the judge of the case approving Faramarz Javidzad’s transfer to medical facilities outside the prison for treatment, this action was obstructed by officials’ disobedience of the order.
In March 2022, Faramarz Javidzad was arrested based on a complaint filed by the “Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order.” After spending three months in solitary confinement in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, which is renowned as the detention center of the intelligence department, he was eventually relocated to the prison’s general ward.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/09/death-of-a-jewish-prisoner-with-iranian-american-citizenship-due-to-denied-medical-access-in-evin-prison
https://iran-hrm.com/2023/09/25/an-iranian-american-jewish-citizen-dies-in-evin-prison-due-to-lack-of-medical-care/
26 September 2023 :
September 21, 2023 - Rahmatollah Nouruzof sentenced to death for terrorism on September 21
The head of the judiciary in Fars Province, Kazem Mousavi, said Nouruzof was the main suspect in the attack and that he had admitted to ties with Islamic State (IS).
Nouruzof, also known as Mostafa Islam-Yar, was charged with "waging war against God," "corruption on Earth," and "conspiring against national security" following his armed assault on the Shah Cheragh shrine on August 13. The Mizan news agency reported that he was sentenced to death on two of the charges.
The August attack on the Shah Cheragh shrine in Shiraz was the second of its kind within a year. While initial reports from the ISNA news agency cited four deaths and at least seven injuries in the attack, Mizan recently updated the death toll to two confirmed deaths and seven injuries.
The judiciary said on September 21 that two other minor suspects were “cleared of direct involvement in the crimes as they were unaware of the primary attacker's intentions.” They were sentenced to five years of discretionary imprisonment and expulsion from Iran.
A previous attack in October 2022, for which IS claimed responsibility, resulted in 13 deaths and left dozens injured.
Iran's Intelligence Ministry said in a statement on November 7, 2022, that the "main element directing and coordinating the attacks inside the country" was a citizen of Azerbaijan. It also reported the detention of 26 foreign nationals, primarily from Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan, in the case.
In December, indictments were issued for five other individuals linked to the Shah Cheragh attack.
In early 2023, Shiraz's Revolutionary Court sentenced two of them, Mohammad Ramez Rashidi and Seyed Naeim Hashemi Qatali, to public execution. All five were identified as foreign nationals and members of the IS terrorist group. The remaining three people detained received lengthy prison terms.
The execution of the two Afghan nationals in July was met with concerns from human rights activists who questioned the fairness of the judicial process and the lack of evidence proving their guilt.
The Iran Human Rights group said the sentences issued to Rashidi and Qatali were not legally valid and were based on forced confessions. The two were hanged in a public execution on July 8.
Iran has seen a surge in executions this year, a trend that has drawn widespread domestic and international condemnation with critics saying that many judgements are rushed through the judiciary while "sham" trials and forced confessions are routine.
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-court-sentences-tajik-mausoleaum-attack/32602930.html
24 September 2023 :
September 19, 2023 - Five Americans who were swapped for $6 billion in unfrozen assets and five detained Iranians have arrived home in the United States, hailing "freedom" and the end of a "nightmare" after their plane landed outside Washington early on September 19.
They hugged relatives to cheers as they left the Gulfstream 5 jet following their predawn arrival at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
The five U.S. nationals had first been flown to Doha, where some embraced the U.S. ambassador to Qatar and walked seemingly in high spirits to a building at the airport in anticipation of the flight to the United States.
"Today, five innocent Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are finally coming home," U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement as they made their way to the United States.
In New York, hard-line Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called the deal to swap a total of 10 individuals along with the assets "a step in the direction of a humanitarian action between us and America" that could "definitely help in building trust."
The agreement took months to clinch and has sparked criticism from some hawkish elements in the United States who think it extends a lifeline to an Iranian regime laboring under tough U.S. sanctions.
The five were expected to land in the United States as soon as late on September 18.
"I would not be free today, if it wasn't for all of you who didn't allow the world to forget me," one of three of the U.S. citizens who have been identified, Siamak Namazi, said in a statement on his behalf.
The freshly released prisoners posed for a group photo with family members saying, "Freedom!"
A Qatari plane had taken off from Tehran carrying the five with two of their relatives, news agencies reported, hours after Nasser Kanaani, a Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the prisoner exchange would occur shortly.
Some $6 billion of Iranian assets once frozen in South Korea is now in Qatar, a key element for the prisoner exchange, added Nasser Kanaani in comments during a news conference aired on state television.
The exchange comes amid a major U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf.
According to the deal, the funds will be kept in accounts in Qatar, a U.S. ally on the Arabian Peninsula and home to a major U.S. military installation. Those funds would be allowed for so-called humanitarian spending, like on food and medicine, already allowed under the sanctions, Washington has said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked Qatar, Switzerland, South Korea and Oman for helping make the deal happen. Biden pledged in a statement to keep pressing for “accountability for Iran and other regimes for the cruel practice of wrongful detention.”
Iranian officials had identified five individuals in U.S. custody whom Tehran would like handed over as part the deal.
They include three Iranians -- Mehrdad Ansari, Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, and Kambiz Attar Kashani -- charged with illegally obtaining advanced or potentially dual-use technology thought to be bound for Iran that has been under tightly reimposed U.S. sanctions since 2018.
Two others -- Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi and Amin Hasanzadeh -- were jailed for failing to register as a foreign agent and stealing engineering plans on behalf of Iran, respectively.
"Out of the five Iranian citizens in America, two will return to Iran, two will stay in America at their own request, and one person will go to a third country at their request," Kanaani said. He did not identify which prisoners would return to Iran and which would not.
The press later obtained further information.
Amin Hasanzadeh, a 46-year-old permanent US resident and engineer in Michigan, was charged in 2019 with stealing confidential documents and technical data from his employer. He was accused of sending them to his brother, who is linked to Iran's weapons industry and the military.
Prosecutors also alleged that the engineer served in the Iranian military and worked at a company linked to "the Iranian government's Cruise Division of Air & Space Organization” – information that he concealed on immigration documents.
At the time of the Iran-US prisoner swap agreement, he was awaiting trial and had said he did not plan to return to Iran.
Kambiz Attar Kashani, an Iranian American dual citizen, was arrested in December 2021 and sentenced to 30 months in prison in February this year by the Brooklyn Federal Court for conspiring to illegally export US goods and technology. He was also fined $50,000. According to the Justice Department, Kashani provided the Central Bank of Iran, an entity that supports organizations that the United States has designated as terrorist groups, and others with US electronic equipment and software that “enabled the Iranian banking system to operate more efficiently, effectively and securely.” Kashani used two companies in the United Arab Emirates as a front to acquire goods from several US technology firms.
Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi, a 65-year-old political scientist and author, was arrested in 2021 at his home in Massachusetts on charges of acting as an unregistered agent of the Iranian government, according to the Justice Department. “For over a decade, Kaveh Afrasiabi pitched himself to Congress, journalists, and the American public as a neutral and objective expert on Iran,” John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, said in a statement at the time. “However, all the while, Afrasiabi was actually a secret employee of the Government of Iran and the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations (IMUN) who was being paid to spread their propaganda.” At the time of the swap agreement, Afrasiabi was awaiting trial and had said he did not wish to return to Iran.
Mehrdad Ansari, a 42-year-old resident of the United Arab Emirates and Germany, received a five-year prison sentence in 2021 for his involvement in a plan to “obtain military sensitive parts” for the Islamic Republic in violation of the Iranian trade embargo. Court documents indicated that the equipment could have been used to test systems including nuclear weapons, missile guidance and offensive electronic warfare. Ansari chose to return to Iran after serving time in a federal prison in Louisiana.
Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani is a 48-year-old Iranian and Canadian national who lived in Montreal. He was indicted by a US grand jury on several counts, including conspiracy, money laundering and violations of US export laws, according to the Justice Department.
He was accused of exporting laboratory equipment to Iran in August 2021 without proper license. The material, which is controlled for nuclear nonproliferation reasons, was exported through Canada and the United Arab Emirates. At the time of the swap agreement with Iran, Kafrani was awaiting trial.
The freed Americans include Namazi, who was detained in 2015 and was later sentenced to 10 years in prison on internationally criticized spying charges; Emad Sharghi, a venture capitalist sentenced to 10 years; and Morad Tahbaz, a British-American conservationist of Iranian descent who was arrested in 2018 and also received a 10-year sentence. The fourth and fifth prisoners were not identified.
Iran has been accused of taking foreign nationals hostage under the guise of breaking the law to use as bargaining chips. Iranian security forces have taken some 40 foreign nationals into custody during a current wave of unrest, often without revealing any charges.
Iran has been isolated and hit with tightened economic and diplomatic sanctions since then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from a three-year-old deal between world powers and Iran to curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from previous measures aimed at stopping the country from developing its atomic capabilities.
Aside from the diplomatic and economic fallout, observers since then have attributed a series of ship seizures and attacks in the crucial Strait of Hormuz region to Tehran.
Tehran has also cooperated with Russia in the Middle East in addition to supplying Moscow with crucial attack drones to further the Kremlin's war plans in Ukraine.
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-prisoner-swap-flight/32598899.html
08 September 2023 :
The Taliban's foreign minister has criticised its leading economic ally and political supporter, Tehran, for the high number of executions in Iran, Farsi media reported.
The Taliban itself is accused of systemic violation of human rights.
Last week, Amir Khan Muttaqi condemned Tehran for its violations of human rights and the high number of death penalties in Iran in response to last year's anti-establishment demonstrations.
"Those of you who always recommend that we have an inclusive government in Afghanistan, do you have such a government in your country?" Mottaqi said during a conference in Kabul, referring to demands made by Iranian officials.
Despite the extensive economic and political cooperation between Tehran and Kabul, Iran has yet to recognise the Taliban government. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian had previously said that the precondition for such recognition would be forming an "inclusive government" in Afghanistan.
"Do you recognise the rights of your citizens? The number of inmates we have in prisons is fewer than the number of people you execute," Mottaqi added.
After China, Iran has the highest number of annual executions worldwide, and in 2022, 582 people were executed by hanging.
No official data is available regarding the number of executions in Afghanistan, but in an August report, the UN said that since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, it had documented the extrajudicial killing of at least 218 military and government officials from the former government despite a nationwide pardon.
01 September 2023 :
(August 31, 2023) - Javad Rouhi, a protester sentenced to death, has died under suspicious circumstances.
Iran Human Rights calls on the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) to investigate his death. Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “Javad Rouhi’s death must be investigated as an extrajudicial killing in prison by the UN Fact-Finding Mission. Ali Khamenei and all individuals and organisations involved in his arrest, torture and detention are responsible for his death and must be held accountable.”
According to the Noshahr Prison public relations, quoted in IRNA, 35-year-old Javad Rouhi was transferred to Shahid Behehshti Noshahr Hospital at 3:45 am on 31 August after suffering from convulsions, where he lost his life under suspicious circumstances.
Javad Rouhi was arrested in relation to a protest that took place on 21 September 2022 in Noshahr, Mazandaran. Per reports, he was subjected to severe torture to force confessions to that were used as the basis of his three death sentences.
On 3 January 2023, the Sari Revolutionary Court sentenced him to three death penalties for charges of efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth), moharebeh (enmity against god) and apostasy through insulting the Quran by burning and insulting Islamic sanctities. A video of him dancing was used as evidence of his leadership role at the protest.
Javad was incommunicado for the first three months of his detention according to his family.
His sentence was overturned on appeal and his case referred to a court of equal standing in May.
It is worth mentioning that in recent years, numerous cases of suspicious deaths or killings of citizens in prisons and police or security detention centers have been reported. In most cases, investigations have not led to the identification of culprits or holding responsible authorities accountable. On the Rouhi case sse also HoC 19/01/2023, 23/05/2023.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6181/
https://www.en-hrana.org/imprisoned-protestor-javad-rouhi-dies-in-nowshahr-prison/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/08/javad-rouhi-a-political-prisoner-and-one-of-the-detainees-of-the-woman-life-freedom-movement-died-mysteriously-in-nowshahr-prison
https://en.iranhrs.org/javad-rouhis-suspicious-death-in-nowshahr/
15 August 2023 :
(August 13, 2023) - Death commission members of Summer 1988 in Iran revealed
Revealing the identity of the death commission members in the summer of 1988 in the provinces of Iran
The names and positions of more than 50 of the commanders and officials of the summer 1988 massacre and members of the death commission in Iran’s prisons.
In the continuation of its series of articles, the Iranian Human Rights Society publishes the names of more than 50 members of the death commissions in the provinces of Iran.
The following names include the main government officials who played a decision-making role in the killing of political prisoners in the summer of 1988. These people were all involved in the killing of 30,000 political prisoners in various provinces in Iran. The positions mentioned in the text are the positions that these people were working in during the terrible disaster of summer 1988. Some of these criminals are no longer alive.
Names of Death commissions members are as follows:
1- Abdulkarim Mousavi Ardebili: The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, as the highest judicial authority, received the first verdict for the massacre from Khomeini and was aware of the details of the 1988 massacres.
2- Mohammad Mousavi Khoiniha: Member of the Supreme Judicial Council – Attorney General of the country.
3- Morteza Moghtadaei: member and spokesman of the Supreme Judicial Council.
4- Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Bojnurdi: member and spokesman of the Supreme Judicial Council.
5- Seyed Mohammad Hassan Marashi Shushtri: member and spokesman of the Supreme Judicial Council, one of the main founders of the judiciary.
6- Ali Fallahian: Deputy Minister of Intelligence.
7- Javad Ali Akbarian: Deputy Minister of Intelligence.
8- Gholamhossein Mohseni Ajei: Representative of the Judiciary in the Ministry of Intelligence.
9- Hossein-Ali Nayeri: President of Tehran Islamic Revolution Courts and President of the Death Board.
10- Mostafa Pour Mohammadi: representative of the Ministry of Intelligence.
11- Morteza Eshraghi: Prosecutor of Tehran.
12-Seyed Ebrahim RaisAl-Sadat (Ebrahim Raisi): Deputy Prosecutor of Tehran and one of the main members of the Death Commission.
13- Ali Mobasheri: Sharia judge of Tehran (replaced by Hossein-Ali Nayeri).
14- Mohammad Esmail Shushtri: Head of the Prisons Organization and one of the main members of the death commission.
15- Ali Razini: Head of the Judicial Organization of the Armed Forces.
16- Seyed Hossein Mortazavi Zanjani: Head of Evin Prison.
17- Mohammad Moghisehie(known as Naserian): Head of Gohardasht prison.
18-Mirzanjaf Aghazadeh: Head of the Death Board of East Azerbaijan province.
19- Mukhtar Heydarzadeh: Prosecutor of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Azerbaijan.
20- Khalil Abedi: judge of Sharia in Tabriz.
21- Mahboubi: representative of the Ministry of Information from East Azarbaijan province.
22- Ali Dadizadeh: Deputy Prosecutor of Tabriz.
23- Haj Seyed Abulhasan Chapari: Director General of East Azarbaijan Prisons Organization.
24- Judge Tabatabai: judge of Sharia Ardabil.
25- Mirzabiuk Khalilzadeh Moravej: Friday imam of Ardabil.
26- Hossein Mirsadeghi: Prosecutor of Ardabil.
27- Seyed Alireza Avaei: Prosecutor of the Dezful revolution.
28- Shamsuddin Kazemi: head of Dezful prison.
29- Gholamreza Khalaf Rezaei Zarea: Dadyar of Dezful city.
30- Reza Serami: Head of Khuzestan Prisons.
31- Hamid Mousavi: representative of the Ministry of Information from the city of Masjid Suleiman.
32- Alahverdi Moghadesi Far: Judge of Rasht Sharia.
33- Alimorad Heidarian: Deputy judge of Rasht Sharia and Sharia judge of eastern cities of Gilan.
34- Hossein Muayedabadi: director general of intelligence of Gilan province.
35- Mohsen Khodaverdi: Prosecutor of Rasht Revolutionary Court.
36- Ali Abdullahi Aliabadi: Head of Rasht Navy Prison.
37- Zainul Abdin Ghorbani: Judge Sharia Lahijan and Astana Ashrafieh.
38- Seyed Ahmad Ghotylzad: judge of Sharia Bandar Anzali and West Gilan.
39- Seyed Taghi Badavam: representative of Fuman Intelligence Department.
40- Nasser Ashuri GhaleRudkhan prison: head of Fuman Corps prison.
41- Hossein Wali Pour: Mashhad Prison assistant.
42- Hassan Zarif Jalali: head of Mashhad prison.
43- Morteza Bakhtiari: Prosecutor of Birjand Revolutionary Court.
44- Zekrullah Ahmadi: Judge Sharia of Kermanshah.
45- Abdolreza Mesri: Representative of Kermanshah Revolutionary Prosecutor.
46- Ahmed Nooriyan: head of Dizelabad prison in Kermanshah.
47- Abbas Ali Soleimani: Friday’s Prayer Imam of Babolsar.
48- Saeedi: Prosecutor of Sari.
49- Salami: Prosecutor of Shiraz.
50- Majid Torabpour: Head of the organization of Fars, Kohgilouye, and Boyer Ahmad prisons.
51- Mohammad Salimi: Sharia judge of Hamadan and the western borders of the country.
52- Mohammad Ali Zanjirehei: Isfahan prison officer.
53- Fereydoon Hassanvand: one of the officials of the Ministry of Intelligence.
54- Mohammad Ali Nosrati Zaglujeh: Head of Tabriz prison.
55- Saeedi: Prosecutor of Sari.
56- Ramezani: judge Sharia Shiraz.
57-Islami: Prosecutor of Shiraz.
58-Khalil Torabpour: Head of Adel Abad Shiraz Prison.
Perhaps the identity of the members of the death commission in the summer of 1988 in the provinces of Iran is still unknown to many people. But this unveiling of their identity will cause questions to arise in the public mind, whether they are still in power?
What will the future determine for these survivors?
https://en.iranhrs.org/death-commission-members-of-summer-1988-in-iran-revealed/
15 August 2023 :
August 10, 2023
IRAN (USA)
U.S. Prisoners Moved From Iranian Prison Amid Reports Of Prisoner Swap
Five U.S. citizens imprisoned in Iran on charges of collaborating with a hostile government have been transferred from Evin prison in Tehran to an unspecified hotel amid reports that the United States and Iran have reached a deal on a prisoner swap.
The U.S. citizens were transferred on August 10 after months of closed-door negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Iranian state media reported that the Americans had been transferred as part of a prisoner-swap deal with the United States.
"Based on the agreement, five Iranian prisoners in the U.S. and five American prisoners in Iran will be exchanged," the official IRNA news agency reported, quoting an informed source.
A statement from the White House National Security Council (NSC) confirmed the release of U.S. citizens Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Sharqi, and two other Americans who wish to remain private.
NSC spokesman John Kirby said under the deal Iran would be given access to money in an existing account and there would be "oversight" to ensure that the money would be used for humanitarian purposes.
Kirby declined to confirm that the amount in the account was $6 billion as reported by U.S. media but in an interview with CNN said the money was not U.S. taxpayer dollars. He also denied that it amounted to a ransom payment but added that there was "no way to get these Americans home without some bargaining with the Iranians."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a news conference that the release of the Americans from prison was a "positive step" and the beginning of a process that he expects will lead to their return to the United States.
Blinken told reporters that the State Department had spoken with the five Americans on August 10 and that he was not aware of any other Americans still detained in Iran.
An earlier NSC statement quoted spokeswoman Adrienne Watson as saying that while the release of the Americans was encouraging, "they should have never been detained in the first place."
Negotiations for their eventual release remain ongoing and are delicate, Watson added. The statement made no mention of a prisoner exchange.
The initial report of the Americans' transfer came from Jared Genser, a lawyer for one of the prisoners, who said four of the prisoners were transferred from Evin prison to the hotel. Genser said it appeared that a fifth U.S. citizen had been placed under house arrest.
Genser called the move of the Americans from Evin prison to house arrest an "important development."
"Although I hope this is the first step towards their ultimate release, at best it is only a preliminary action and nothing more," he added.
The prisoners were released as The New York Times and other U.S. media reported that Iran and the United States had reached a deal to free the Americans in exchange for an unspecified number of jailed Iranians and Tehran gaining access to $6 billion in oil revenue for humanitarian purposes.
Gregory Brew, an analyst at Eurasia Group, told Radio Farda that the development was the first constructive sign of progress in the relationship between the United States and Iran since reports of an informal understanding in June.
"Despite escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, it still looks like both sides are interested in taking small steps toward de-escalation," Brew said. "The important area to watch is the nuclear issue. The U.S. wants Iran to release its prisoners, but what it really wants to see is Iran increase its cooperation with the UN nuclear agency and ramp down its enrichment of uranium."
It is possible that progress on the nuclear issue will build off the prisoner deal, Brew said, but added, "We'll have to wait for an update from the UN nuclear agency to know whether Iran has taken the steps the U.S. wants it to take."
Iran's economy has been hobbled by Western sanctions over its human rights record and unrest has rattled the country since late last year amid declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support.
Adding to the dissent, the death in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly breathed new life into the demonstrations, which officials across the country have tried to quell with harsh measures.
U.S.-Iranian relations have also withered under a failure to revive a nuclear deal that President Joe Biden vowed to renew when he ran for president.
Negotiations aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers remain deadlocked. In the absence of a deal Tehran has reduced its commitments to allow monitoring and provide further information on its nuclear program.
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-prisoner-swap/32542858.html
10 August 2023 :
(August 7, 2023) - Rajai Shahr Prison Closure; Intentional Destruction of Evidence of Crimes Against Humanity
State media have reported the evacuation and closure of Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison. This is while the prison is the site of the mass atrocities committed throughout the 1980s and the 1988 prison massacre of political prisoners. Last year, a Swedish court sentenced Hamid Noury to life imprisonment for his role in the massacre at the prison.
Iran Human Rights calls for urgent action to stop the demolition of the prison and the destruction of evidence of crimes at the prison which reached its peak in the 1988 massacre.
Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “Gohardasht Prison is the place where crimes against humanity were committed by those who currently hold key positions in the Islamic Republic. We still don’t know the full scope of those crimes and destroying the evidence is without doubt one of the key motivations behind its closure. The justice movement, Iranian civil society and the international community must do everything in their power to prevent the prison’s demolition.”
According to state media, the Head of Judiciary, Mohsen Ejei, ordered the closure of the prison on 6 April 2023, with the evacuations starting on 1 July and ending on 5 August.
An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Prison authorities told the prisoners that the prison had been sold for 10,000 billion tomans (€200 million) without naming the buyer and would soon be evacuated.”
The closure and impending demolition of the prison is taking place after a Swedish court sentenced Hamid Noury to life imprisonment for his role in the 1988 Massacre last year and his case is currently at the appeal stage.
As well as being the location of mass executions in the 1980s, the prison has also been the location of thousands of executions in the last three decades. According to data collected by Iran Human Rights, at least 530 executions took place just for murder charges at the prison between 2015-2022.
Authorities have claimed that the prison closure and transfers are “in line with the implementation of the law on transferring existing prisons and educational centres outside of cities (approved on 28 November 2001).” However, evidence shows that Rajai Shahr Prison’s evacuation is part of the intentional and systematic efforts by Islamic Republic authorities to erase all traces of the crimes they have committed at the prison throughout their years in power, particularly that of the 1988 prison massacre. Such crimes are not restricted to just Rajai Shahr Prison.
Furthermore, in a visit to Mashhad in February, the Head of Judiciary announced Mashhad Central Prison would also be closed and moved to the outskirts of the city. Mashhad Central Prison is another prison where mass atrocities took place in the 1980s. In an official letter to Ruhollah Khomeini, his deputy, Hosseinali Montazeri specifically raised the issue of female prisoners being tortured and raped at the prison at the time.
The letter which was written in the summer of 1988, reads: “Do you know that in Mashhad Prison, around 25 girls had to have their ovaries or uterus removed because of what was done to them? Do you know that in some Islamic Republic prisons, young girls are forcibly raped?”
There have also been multiple reports of government efforts to destroy Khavaran cemetery over the years and specifically over the last three years. Thousands of political prisoners executed in the 1988 Massacre were buried in mass graves in Khavaran without names and place markings.
Last year, hundreds of the families of the victims of the Islamic Republic called on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to prevent the “destruction and any manipulation” of Khavaran Cemetery by the authorities.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6130/
11 August 2023 :
(August 8, 2023) - Germany Intensifies Efforts To Release Death Row Prisoner In Iran.
The case of Jamshid Sharmahd, a German citizen, who was sentenced to death by Iran's regime, has become a "top priority" for the German Foreign Ministry.
In a statement to Iran International, a spokesperson for the ministry affirmed their active campaign to secure Sharmahd's release.
"The case of Jamshid Sharmahd is our top priority," the spokesperson stated, underscoring the significance of the matter. "We are actively campaigning for Sharmahd with the utmost effort at a high level, through all available channels and at every opportunity. We are making it clear to the Iranian side that the execution of the death sentence would have serious consequences. Preventing the enforcement of the decision is of the utmost importance to us."
However, the German Foreign Ministry has refrained from disclosing whether diplomatic relations with Tehran or its substantial export business with Iran, amounting to over $1.2 billion, would be severed as part of efforts to secure Sharmahd's release.
Sharmahd was sentenced to death in April by Iran's judiciary on charges of alleged terrorism. He was accused of leading the pro-monarchist group Kingdom Assembly of Iran, believed to be responsible for a fatal 2008 bombing and plotting additional attacks within the country. The group, operating from Los Angeles, advocates for the restoration of Iran's monarchy and operates opposition media platforms.
His case is emblematic of what human rights organizations term "hostage diplomacy," where Western prisoners are held on charges of espionage or alleged crimes. Iran maintains that the prisoners are being held for legitimate reasons, despite international concerns and objections. On the Sharmahd case see also HoC 04/08/2020, 01/11/2020, 27/04/2021, 20/02/2023, 22/02/2023, 12/03/2023, 26/04/2023, 06/ 05/2023, 01/07/2023.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202308087646
28 July 2023 :
(July 27, 2023) - Mohammad Seifzadeh, a veteran lawyer and one of the founders of the Centre for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran, has been sentenced to a year behind bars for a letter he signed to António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, calling for a reaction against the Islamic Republic’s execution machine.
Judicial and security authorities started the extrajudicial crackdown on lawyers taking protester cases during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” nationwide uprising, with dozens of lawyers arrested across Iran.
Veteran lawyer, Mohammad Sefizadeh considers his recent sentence to be unlawful. He told Iran Human Rights: “Since the charges against me are political, according to Article 168 of the Constitution, there should’ve been a public impartial trial with a jury of real people before an independent judiciary and in the presence of independent and impartial judges.” He says none of the above was observed in his case.
In December 2022, following the execution of protester Mohsen Shekari on 8 December, 45 Iranian activists including the lawyer, signed a letter to the UN Secretary-General calling for a strong reaction to stop the execution machine and repression of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests. On 14 May, he was sentenced to a year imprisonment for charges of “propaganda against the system” and “publishing lies to disturb public minds” by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court presided by Judge Ali Mazloum. His sentence was upheld by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals on 25 June. Mr Seifzadeh refused to attend both trials.
“In that letter, we informed the UN Secretary General of the events that took place after Mahsa Amini’s murder. In the indictment issued against me, this letter has been used as evidence of the charges. However, based on Articles 32, 34, 36, 37, 61 and 159 of the Constitution and given that Revolutionary Courts are unlawful, I refused to attend the trials,” Mr Seifzadeh says.
He continues: “In the Constitution, courts or judicial authorities are mentioned, and what is meant by judicial authorities are general courts of justice. And since Revolutionary Courts are unlawful, I have not appealed or appeared in the preliminary or appeal courts. I didn't even send a defence bill or a lawyer to these courts."
Article 500 of the Islamic Penal Code criminalises “propaganda against the system” and according to Article 698, anyone who spreads false news with the intention of causing harm to others or the authorities or disturbing public minds, is guilty of “publishing lies.”
Denying the charges brought against him, Mohammad Seifzadeh says: “Article 500 of the Islamic Penal Code is contrary to the previsions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is against the right to freedom of expression and even contradicts Islamic laws. Furthermore, this Article contradicts Article 4 and 24 of Iran’s Constitution. Regarding the charge of “publishing lies,” it should noted that we didn’t publish the letter, it was published from abroad. On the other hand, there are no lies in the content of that letter and include factual events that happened in Iran. Our letter was also not intended to disturb public minds because that was neither our intention, nor did it actually happen. Ultimately, the public’s mind was not disturbed at all.”
The Revolutionary Court issued the judgement without evidence proving the charges against him in the case, according to Mohammad.
According to an electronic notification sent by the Tehran Courts of Appeal and signed by a Mr Mohammadreza Borji, the Court’s office manager, Mohammad Seifzadeh must personally appear in court to sign a commitment letter (express remorse and vow not to repeat similar intentional crimes) and seek the Supreme Leader’s pardon, “or necessary decisions will be made.”
“On Wednesday, 26 July, I went to the judicial authority that had summoned me and they asked me to sign a letter of repentance which I refused and told them that we had sought justice by making a complaint and according to Article 34 of Iran’s Constitution and international law, those who have been subjected to oppression may file complaints with international institutions and seeking justice is a human right. On the other hand, the dignity of human rights defenders is the dignity of an impartial judge. We have no enmity with anyone, but we are obliged to follow up cases of human rights violations," he told Iran Human Rights.
75-year-old Mohammad Seifzade has been jailed 13 times throughout his years of human rights activism, five of which were during Pahlavi’s reign and eight times under the Islamic Republic. He has consequently contracted and suffered from many diseases due to the prisons’ inhumane conditions.
He says: “I suffered seven strokes during my last prison term to the point that I stopped breathing and could no longer feel my arms and legs. Prison authorities sent me to the Forensic Medical Organisation and despite the doctors confirming that I may die if kept in prison, they made me serve my whole sentence.”
Mohammad Seifzadeh was sentenced to nine years imprisonment and a ten-year ban from practicing law for charges of “acting against national security” by establishing the Centre for Human Rights Defenders in October 2010. Two years later, he was sentenced to a further six years imprisonment by “death judge” Salavati for charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” for signing a group statement in defence of Iranian people’s rights from inside prison.
While behind bars, he faced more pressure and vengeance by being exiled to Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison and held with ordinary crime prisoners in breach of the separation of crimes principle.
“They wouldn’t give me shoes for yard time in Rajai Shahr Prison which resulted in damage to my ankle. To this day, I trip and fall when walking,” he said of one of his physical ailments behind bars.
According to the lawyer, he must take the letter issued by the Forensic Medical doctors during his last imprisonment ruling him unfit to serve his sentence to the Forensic Medical Organisation after the national holidays so they can make a new ruling.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6079/
27 July 2023 :
(July 26, 2023) - Iran court quashes Mohammad Ghobadlou death sentence----The condemned man's family had appealed for clemency from the court on the grounds that he suffered from bipolar disorder.
Iran's Supreme Court has quashed a death sentence handed down to a 23-year-old man convicted of killing a policeman during nationwide protests last year, local media reported Wednesday.
Mohammad Ghobadlou was sentenced to death on the charge of "corruption on Earth" in October after a court found him guilty of "attacking police officers, one of them fatally", in a car-ramming during a protest.
"The Supreme Court quashed the death sentence... against Ghobadlou and referred his case to a new jurisdiction to deal with issues relating to his mental health," Iran's Mehr news agency reported, citing his defence team.
Ghobadlou's family had appealed for clemency from the court on the grounds that he suffered from bipolar disorder.
Dozens of police officers were among the hundreds of people killed during the Amini protests, which Tehran labelled "riots" fomented by foreign governments.
Authorities made thousands of arrests among protesters and their supporters.
https://www.newarab.com/news/iran-court-quashes-amini-protests-death-sentence
23 July 2023 :
(July 20, 2023) - Abbas Deris at Grave Risk of Execution; Supreme Court Ignored Crucial Appeal Arguments
According to interviews with state media, Fereshteh Tabanian, the lawyer representing Mahshahr protester Abbas Deris, filed a request for a retrial at the Supreme Court on 15 July 2023. Based on the Note to Article 478 of the Code of Criminal Procedures, a stay of execution must be granted when a retrial is requested in death penalty cases. The request is based on a series of flaws in the case that she says were ignored in the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold his death penalty on 5 July.
50-year-old Abbas Deris is a father of three children who was arrested on 8 December 2019 along with his 30-year-old brother, Mohsen Deris in the aftermath of the Mahshahr canebrake crackdown during the November 2019 nationwide protests where at least 60 people were killed according to eyewitnesses and up to 100 people per other sources. They were charged with “moharebeh (enmity against god), disrupting public order and participating in the murder of a special unit officer.”
Stressing the history of the Islamic Republic’s Judiciary in carrying out executions while retrial and judicial review requests are still under consideration at the Supreme Court, Iran Human Rights repeats its warning about the grave risk of Abbas Deris’ secret execution and urges the international community to pressure the Islamic Republic to overturn his sentence immediately.
Abbas and Mohsen were denied access to lawyers until the case was referred to the Revolutionary Court. Their “confessions” to the murder were aired by state media prior to any legal proceedings. Abbas Deris later stated in court that he had made self-incriminating confessions under torture and pressure in solitary confinement. In the summer of 2021, the Deris family were verbally informed that pthe brothers were sentenced to death prior to the commencement of any legal proceedings. Upon hearing the news, Abbas’ wife suffered a stroke and tragically passed away leaving their three children as de facto orphans. The family were pressured to obtain forgiveness from the victim’s family per qisas laws which they refused at the time, insisting on their innocence.
Fereshteh Tabanian was allowed to represent the brothers after the case was referred to the Revolutionary Court. The first session of their trial took place in Mahshahr Prison due to “security reasons” on 10 May 2022 and the second session at Branch One of the Mahshahr Revolutionary Court on 13 September 2022. On 22 October 2022, Abbas was sentenced to death for the moharebeh charges by the Revolutionary Court and Mohsen was acquitted. According to Article 279 of the Islamic Penal Code, moharebeh is defined as: “drawing a weapon on the life, property or honour of the public or causing them terror, in a way that creates an environment of insecurity.”
The brothers also faced murder charges at the Criminal Court. However, as the plaintiffs in the case, the victim’s family stated that they do not hold Abbas and Mohsen responsible. They are therefore no longer facing murder charges but as the victim has small children, the Deris brothers are legally required to pay diya (blood money). A copy of the family’s statement was also submitted to the Supreme Court, which was ignored.
According to Fereshteh Tabanian, the Supreme Court ignored key flaws in the case in confirming his death sentence. As well as Abbas Deris stating in court that his confessions were extracted under torture in solitary confinement, the only evidence connecting him to the gun allegedly used to kill the officer, is the testimony of a neighbour who was caught with the gun themselves. Furthermore, as no bullet was found on the victim’s body, there is no evidence proving the bullet was fired from the gun attributed to Abbas.
In the case, Abbas is alleged to have shot the officer from the top of a building. A weapon expert report commissioned by the court determined the distance between the victim and the building Abbas was standing on to have been 40 metres, which the lawyer says was gravely underestimated. At the time, defence filed an objection and a three-person expert panel was formed by the state. They determined the distance to have been between 130-150 metres, which the brothers’ lawyers also rejected as they stated the distance was even more. Per Ms Tabanian, a five-person expert panel should have been formed which the court ignored.
Moreover, according to the lawyer, Abbas Deris has poor eyesight, struggling to see even with his glasses on. Trees are also lined in front of the building in question, which would have impaired his vision even further. This crucial fact was ignored by the Court.
Three eyewitnesses also testified not to have seen the brothers committing the alleged shooting and stated that they did not know who the victim was shot by. Informed sources previously told Iran Human Rights that the second expert brought in the case had opined that the victim was shot from the back, not from the protesters he was facing which has also been ignored.
Abbas Deris’ mother and three children have shared public pleas to help save his life. In one video, his 16-year-old son, Ali says: “Our mother had a stroke and died after hearing the news, we have nobody but our father left.” In a letter shared on 15 July, he writes: “I had to leave school to look after my younger brothers who’ve never been to school. If I go out to work, my brothers will be left alone. My grandmother is elderly and unfortunately blind…We haven’t been able to visit my mother’s grave for a year because she was buried in Ahvaz which is too far away from Mahshahr. I haven’t seen my father since he was jailed.”
The Mahshahr canebrake crackdown which took place in November 2019, is considered one of the most bloody crackdowns in the Islamic Republic. According to eyewitnesses, security forces opened fire at the unarmed protesters who had blocked the street in Chamran (Jarahi), northern Mahshahr, killing many people. When protesters ran towards the canebrake next to the street to take cover, security forces fired heavy artillery and set parts of the canebrake on fire, killing more people. An eyewitness told Iran Human Rights: “At least 20 people were killed on the street and 40 killed in the canebrake.”
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6070/
27 July 2023 :
(July 19, 2023) - Political prisoner Mohammad-Javad Vafaie Sani (Vafayi-Sani, Vafa'i Thani) has been handed a death sentence. This verdict comes after the Supreme Court had initially overturned the previous death sentence and ordered a retrial at another branch court.
Breaking the news, Babak Paknia, Vafaie’s lawyer, disclosed that despite the Supreme Court’s argument against the death sentence, the court has once again sentenced him to death. The lawyer has vowed to appeal for a retrial within the moratorium period.
According to Paknia, Vafaie has been accused of “spreading corruption on earth” and “arson of property, including the Government Penitentiary Building.” Following this latest ruling, Vafaie was granted a heavy bail, which unfortunately he was unable to afford, leading to his continued detention.
The case has taken a series of twists and turns, with the Supreme Court eventually overturning the previous verdict, leading to the transfer of the case to another branch court.
Vafaie, a 26-year-old boxing coach, was arrested in February of 2020 by security forces in Mashhad city.
https://www.en-hrana.org/mohammad-javad-vafaie-sani-sentenced-to-death-after-retrial/
26 July 2023 :
(July 19, 2023) - The Czech Republic will extradite a Georgian national wanted in the United States over a plot to kill Iranian Dissident Masih Alinejad.
“I consider the extradition of Polad Omarov to the United States…the correct decision after considering all circumstances,” Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek said in a tweet on July 18.
Alinejad also took to Twitter to “thank the Czech Republic for allowing the extradition of Polad Omarov, who was indicted in a plot by the Islamic Republic to murder me, to the United States.”
“I also want to thank the US law enforcement agencies who will soon have the 3 men who were behind this nefarious plot behind bars,” she added.
Omarov was indicted in the United States in January together with two other members of a criminal gang that allegedly undertook a Tehran-backed plot to kill Alinejad.
Czech police detained Omarov in January, and the Prague City Court ruled in May he could be extradited to the United States.
Czech media said he could be extradited within days.
Omarov and alleged gang leader Rafat Amirov, who lives in Iran, led the plot to kill Alinejad at her home in New York last year, the US Department of Justice has said.
The pair sent US citizen Khalid Mehdiyev $30,000 to carry out the murder.
Amirov was taken into custody in the United States in January.
Mehdiyev was arrested near Alinejad’s New York home in July last year with a loaded AK-47 assault rifle.
The trio was charged with murder-for-hire, conspiracy and money laundering, charges that bring cumulatively up to 40 years in prison.
Alinejad has been a target of previous plots by Tehran.
In July 2021, the US authorities charged four Iranian intelligence operatives and one US resident for plotting to kidnap her and take her back to Iran.
12 July 2023 :
(July 5, 2023) - Iran Must Stop Executions Of Protesters, Says UN Fact-Finding Mission
A fact-finding mission mandated by the UN urged Iran on Wednesday to stop executing people sentenced to death for anti-government protests that rocked the country last year.
The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September 2022 while in the custody of the country's morality police unleashed a wave of mass protests across Iran, marking the biggest challenge to the Islamic regime in decades.
Since then, several people have been hanged for participating in the unrest, and other detainees still face the danger of capital punishment.
"We call on the Iranian authorities to stop the executions of individuals convicted and sentenced to death in connection with the protests and reiterate our requests to make available to us the judicial files, evidence, and judgments regarding each of these persons," Sara Hossain, chair of the Iran Fact-Finding Mission, told the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The mission also called for the "release all those detained for exercising their legitimate right to peaceful assembly and for reporting on the protests".
Responding to the statement in comments to the Council, Kazem Gharib Abadi, secretary general of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, called the establishment of the fact-finding mission last year "an entirely politically motivated and unacceptable move". He then walked out of the session in protest.
The Iranian representative in the session complained about the use of the word "regime" for the Islamic Republic in several occasions until the chair of the session said he no longer allows such interruptions.
In May, Iran executed 3 men it said were implicated in the deaths of 3 members of its security forces during the demonstrations.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202307050589
09 July 2023 :
(July 1, 2023) - German Party Leader Refused Visit To Condemned German-Iranian Citizen
The leader of Germany's Christian Democrats, Friedrich Merz, said on July 1 that he has been told he cannot visit the German-Iranian Jamshid Sharmahd, who has been sentenced to death. "After several months of processing, my application to enter Iran was rejected. The regime denies me an insight into the prison conditions of the German citizen Jamshid Sharmahd," Merz wrote on Twitter. Iran's Supreme Court confirmed the controversial death sentence against the journalist at the end of April. In February, a revolutionary court found Sharmahd responsible for an alleged terrorist attack. He has denied the charges and his daughter said he has been tortured in prison.
On the Sharmad case see also HoC 04/08/2020, 20/02/2023, 22/02/2023 e 26/04/2023.
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-executes-rapists-lured-women-fake-clinic/32488891.html
28 June 2023 :
(June 26, 2023) - Council targets 7 individuals over serious human rights violations
The Council of the European Union decided today to impose a 9th package of restrictive measures on an additional 7 individuals responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.
The new listings include the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Isfahan province and the Deputy Judge of the Provincial Criminal Court of Isfahan province, who are responsible for the trials against the protestors Saleh Mirhashmi, Majid Kazemi and Saeid Yaqoubi, subsequently executed in May 2023. Today’s sanctions also target the commander of IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) forces in Isfahan province, who oversaw the actions of the IRGC and other security forces in response to anti-government protests.
The Council is also listing the Governor and head of Rezvanshahr Security Council in Gilan province, who ordered officers to open fire on protesters in the context of the 2022-2023 nationwide protests causing numerous deaths and injuries, including to children, and the Police Commander of Rezvanshahr in Gilan province, who executed the orders.
Lastly, sanctions were imposed on the Governor of the city of Amol, responsible for the killing of at least 2 young Iranian protesters, and the commander of the Imam Hossein Guards Corps of Karaj over the detention and killing of Mohammad Reza Ghorbani and the detention and rape of Armita Abbassi by the Karaj security forces.
Restrictive measures now apply to a total of 223 individuals and 37 entities. They consist of an asset freeze, a travel ban to the European Union, and a prohibition to make funds or economic resources available to those listed. A ban on exports to Iran of equipment which might be used for internal repression and of equipment for monitoring telecommunications is also in place.
The European Union and its member states urge the Iranian authorities to stop the violent crackdown against peaceful protests, cease their resort to arbitrary detentions as a means of silencing critical voices, and release all those unjustly detained.
The European Union calls on Iran to end the practice of imposing and carrying out death sentences against protesters, reverse the death penalty sentences pronounced, as well as provide due process to all detainees. The EU also calls upon Iran to end the distressing practice of detaining foreign civilians with a view to making political gains.
Today’s package of listings follows the previous eight adopted by the Council since October 2022, the latest of which was adopted on 22 May 2023.
The relevant legal acts have been published in the Official Journal of the EU.
19 June 2023 :
(June 15, 2023) - According to the semi-independent news website ‘Modara’, an individual was sentenced to death by the criminal court of Mazandaran accused of killing the parliament member Abbasali Soleimani.
https://www.en-hrana.org/multiple-executions-carried-out-in-yasuj-shiraz-karaj/
16 June 2023 :
(June 11, 2023) - Iran Hands Over Scores Of Afghan Prisoners To Taliban
Over 100 Afghans serving prison sentences in Iran were handed over to the Taliban on Sunday.
“As a result of the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs… 101 Afghan prisoners were transferred again in Nimruz in connection with the agreement reached with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry on Monday.
Fazl Mohammad Haqqani, Chargé d'affaires of the Afghan Embassy in Tehran told Radio Farda, the Persian Service of Radio Free Europe in Prague that “250 to 260 more prisoners will be handed over to the Islamic Emirate at Islam Qala border on Wednesday.”
According to Haqqani, the prisoners were mostly incarcerated on charges of drug trafficking and fighting, but none of them were sentenced to death.
Human rights organizations had earlier announced at least six Afghan citizens were executed in Iranian prisons and some more have received the death penalty.
At least 457 Afghan prisoners were also handed over to Afghanistan by Iranian authorities back in March, amid deep concerns over the Taliban's human rights record.
Despite international pressure not to recognize Kabul's government, Tehran is handing over the inmates to the Taliban which may put their lives in danger.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202306120249
10 June 2023 :
(Jun 7, 2023) - IPI and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemn trials of journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi
In a tweet Tuesday, RSF said banning the lawyers of the two journalists from speaking at their hearings was “further proof of the judicial farce against the two journalists.”
Hamedi, managed to visit Mahsa Amini in Tehran’s Kasra hospital and broke the news of her grave condition after being taken into the custody of the morality police three days earlier for wearing her hijab “improperly”. Amini was in a coma at the time.
Mohammadi, likewise, managed to travel to Amini’s hometown of Saqqez in western Iran to report on her funeral, September 17, which thousands attended.
The lawyers for Niloofar Hamedi, a reporter of the reformist Shargh daily, and Elahe Mohammadi, of the reformist Ham-Mihan newspaper, were banned from speaking at the 1st hearings.,” RSF tweeted Tuesday.
The IPI global network strongly condemns the closed-door trials of Hamedi and Mohammadi. Authorities must immediately drop charges against these journalists as well as all imprisoned journalists in Iran.
The killing of 22-year-old Amini while in the custody of the country’s morality police triggered a wave of anti-government protests, marking one of the biggest challenges to the Iranian regime since 2009.
Authorities responded with a major crackdown on the media, arresting scores of journalists and banning international news outlets from entering the country. At least 95 journalists have been arrested since the start of the protests, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
The first session of Mohammadi’s trial presided by the notorious judge Abolghasem Salavati was held behind closed doors at Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on June 5. Hamedi’s hearing was held on Tuesday by the same judge and in the same manner. Lawyers of the two journalists were not allowed to speak.
Hamedi’s husband, Mohammad-Hossein Ajorlou who is a sports journalist himself, in a series of tweets Tuesday confirmed that Hamedi’s lawyer had not been given an opportunity to speak and said family members, including himself, were not allowed in the courtroom. According to Ajorlou’s tweet the date for the next hearing has not been set.
The Telegram channel of the ultrahardliner Raja News claimed that “anti-Iranian media” are trying to “reduce” the arrest of the two journalists to their coverage of Mahsa Amini’s death.
“But reliable information indicates that Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi had participated in training courses of institutions that seek the overthrow of the Islamic Republic and had connections with foreign intelligence services,” Raja News which is affiliated to the ultraconservative Paydari Front wrote.
In October, Iran's intelligence ministry and SAS, the intelligence organization of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) accused Mohammadi and Hamedi of being CIA agents. “Using the cover of a journalist, she was one of the first people who arrived at the hospital and provoked the relatives of the deceased and published targeted news,” they said in a joint statement.
Hamedi and Mohammadi were arrested on September 22 and 29, 2022, respectively.
Hamedi published photos of Amini and her parents in the hospital where she died. Mohammadi, a reporter for the pro-reform Hammihan newspaper, covered Amini’s funeral. Hamedi and Mohammadi were arrested separately a few days later, and have been held in Evin prison since then.
Both face charges of “colluding with hostile powers” — a charge which could carry the death penalty if they are found guilty. The trials are being held completely behind closed doors, and lawyers for the two journalists were not told of the court date or allowed to confer with their clients, Hamedi’s husband, Mohammad Hossein Ajorlou, said on Twitter.
According to reports, the lawyers for the journalists were also prevented from expressing anything or defending the journalists throughout the trial, according to Mohammadi’s lawyer, Shahab Mirlohi.
“The IPI global network stands in solidarity with Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, and all journalists in Iran who are being harassed, intimidated, jailed, and persecuted for simply doing their jobs”, IPI Director of Advocacy Amy Brouillette said. “The closed-door trials of these two journalists is a mockery of justice, and yet more proof that the regime has lost all legitimacy with the public.”
https://ipi.media/iran-ipi-condemns-trials-of-journalists-niloofar-hamedi-and-elaheh-mohammadi/
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202305317063
30 May 2023 :
(May 29, 2023) - Raisi Played Direct Role In Executing Prisoners In 80s
The former director of the notorious Evin prison in Tehran has accused President Ebrahim Raisi of having a direct role in executing political prisoners under the founder of Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini.
Hossein Mortazavi Zanjani said in a virtual meeting on Clubhouse that Raisi, who was the deputy prosecutor of Tehran, told him: "We went and got an order from Ayatollah Khomeini to execute the prisoners."
This is the first revelation by a former judiciary official about the direct involvement of the Iranian president in the killing of political prisoners in the 1980s.
The executions during the 1980s were carried out based on a fatwa by Iran's then supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, against the MEK (The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran) which carried out a wave of bombings in Iran and struck an alliance with Saddam Hussein during the 1980-88 war.
“Showing mercy to those who take up arms against the Islamic government is being naïve,” Khomeini said in his fatwa.
Most victims were linked to the MEK but there were also others with links to leftist and secular groups such as Fadaiyan Khalq Organization (FKO) and the Tudeh Party as well as some Kurdish groups such as Komala and the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran.
The exact number of prisoners executed during the purge of prisoners is not known but according to independent sources, the Iranian authorities "forcibly disappeared" and "extrajudicially executed" around 5,000 between July and September 1988.
The former director of Evin prison, which has held some of the country’s most high profile cases and is famed for its brutalities to inmates, added that he witnessed the bodies of the executed prisoners thrown into trucks and taken from the prison.
Mortazavi claimed he resigned to what was known as ‘the death board’, the group of decision-makers deciding whether prisoners lived or died. He claims his resignation was met with a death threat by the deputy intelligence minister.
“Although I did not have a direct role in the execution of prisoners, I feel guilty because of my silence about the executions, and even if I repent, I will not be cleansed,” he said.
After his victory in the presidential election in 2021, in response to an Al-Jazeera reporter’s question, Ebrahim Raisi said he has been a "human rights defender" since the beginning of his tenure in the judicial system and "should be commended " for his actions.
Mortazavi further stated that female prisoners still virgins were forcibly married to jailers before the execution. According to the narrative of political prisoners, the clerics of the Islamic Republic believed if the virgin girls were executed, they would go to heaven, and for this reason, they raped them in the form of forced marriage so that they would not die virgins.
”The father of one of the executed virgin girls told me that after the execution of his daughter, the agents gave him money saying the money is for his daughter's marriage endowment."
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202305292957
30 May 2023 :
(May 27, 2023) - Juvenile Offender Hossein Shahbazi at Risk of Execution Despite Postponement
The execution Shahbazi which was scheduled to take place tomorrow, has been temporarily postponed. Sentenced for an alleged murder that took place when he was 17 years old, his execution is still at implementation enforcement, placing him at risk.
IHR demands his sentence be overturned and calls on the international community, countries with diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic in particular, to do everything in their power to save Hossein Shahbazi and other juvenile offenders on death row from death.
Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “Hossein Shahbazi is still at risk of execution and will remain at risk until his sentence his overturned. The international community can save juvenile offenders on death row with sustained efforts and pressure on the Islamic Republic."
According to information obtained by IHR, Hossein Shahbazi's family were informed that his execution was due to take place on 28 May, which has now been postponed.
One of his relatives told IHR: “His execution was due to take place on Sunday which they now say has been postponed.” However, the sentence has not been overturned and only temporarily postponed.
Hossein Shahbazi was 17 years old at the time of allegedly committing the murder during a mass fight in 2018.
A source previously told IHR that Hossein was tortured to make self-incriminating confessions during the interrogation phase. “Due to the family’s financial problems, they couldn’t afford to get Hossein a lawyer,” they said. Hossein had also been sent to the legal medical examiner to assess his mental maturity days after arrest and was found to have reach maturity and fully developed.
Hossein was tranferred for execution on at least two other occasions, in June and December 2021.
It is important to note that on 24 November 2021, juvenile offender Arman Abdolali was abruptly executed despite officials telling his family that his execution had been postponed.
According to Article 91 of the new Islamic Penal Code, passed in 2013, “In the cases of offences punishable by hadd or qisas, if mature people under eighteen years do not realise the nature of the crime committed or its prohibition, or if there is uncertainty about their full mental development, according to their age, they shall be sentenced to the punishments prescribed in this chapter.” The note to the Article gives judges the power to determine the defendant's mental capacity: “The court may ask the opinion of forensic medicine or resort to any other method that it sees appropriate in order to establish the full mental development.”
Iran is one of the few countries in the world that still carries out the death penalty for juvenile offenders. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which the Islamic Republic is a signatory to, prohibits the issuance and implementation of the death penalty for crimes committed by an individual below 18 years of age.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child, which the Islamic Republic is also a signatory to, explicitly states that “Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below eighteen years of age.” However, the new Islamic Penal Code adopted in 2013 explicitly defines the “age of criminal responsibility” for children as the age of maturity under Sharia law, meaning that girls over 9 lunar years of age and boys over 15 lunar years of age are eligible for execution if convicted of “crimes against God” (such as apostasy) or “retribution crimes” (such as murder).
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5949/
28 May 2023 :
(May 26, 2023) - IRNA: 'Assadi's release, a personal victory for Raisi's diplomatic initiatives'
Two telephone calls between Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, on March 1 and April 20, played a major role in the release of Assadollah Assadi, a former Iranian diplomat imprisoned in Belgium, and showed how the Iranian president's diplomacy drive can lead to major success in critical times, according to an analysis.
The analysis by IRNA's political desk published on Saturday said three days after the first phone call, the Constitutional Court of Belgium approved a prisoner swap treaty between Tehran and Brussels, and 35 days after the second phone call, Assadi was released from prison and returned to Iran on May 26.
It said that President Raisi had warned that it would be harmful for Belgium if its chooses to act on wrong and misleading information provided by terrorist and mercenary groups about Assadi's legal case.
The plane carrying Assadi landed at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport on Friday evening.
Belgian police arrested Assadi in June 2018, accusing him of plotting an attack against the anti-Iran Mujahedin-e Khalq (MKO) terrorist organization, a claim that has been strongly rejected by the former diplomat and Iranian authorities.
A Belgian court then sentenced Assadi, who had served as the third counselor at Iran's Embassy in Vienna, to 20 years in prison.
Iran had repeatedly condemned the violation of Assadi's diplomatic immunity and made every effort to secure his release in negotiations with Belgian authorities.
https://en.irna.ir/news/85123218/Assadi-s-release-a-personal-victory-for-Raisi-s-diplomatic
28 May 2023 :
(May 26, 2023) - Belgian Government Releases Iranian Diplomat-Terrorist Assadollah Assadi in Controversial Prisoner Swap
Assadi was released from prison and returned to Iran on May 26
Brussels, Belgium – In a move that has drawn sharp criticism from both national and international observers, the Belgian government today released Iranian diplomat-terrorist Assadollah Assadi in a prisoner swap. Assadi, who was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in a foiled bomb plot targeting an Iranian opposition rally in France, has been at the center of a contentious and high-profile case.
Many experts have voiced concerns that this decision demonstrates a weakness of the European Union and the Belgian government, which they argue has effectively bowed to the Iranian regime’s blackmailing and bargaining tactics. Critics argue that the move may encourage further acts of terrorism and weaken the international community’s ability to deter and punish such actions.
In a statement, the Iranian Resistance strongly condemned the release of Assadi. The statement reads: “The release of this terrorist diplomat, while the Constitutional Court had clearly stated in its judgment that the Belgian government should inform the victims before transferring the convicts so that they have the opportunity to once again take the issue to court. The release of the terrorist, who organized and commanded the biggest criminal act in Europe after the Second World War by violating the Court’s order, is a shameful ransom for terrorism and hostage-taking. This will embolden the religious fascism ruling Iran to continue its crimes in Iran through repression and regional and international terrorism. From May 1 to May 25, 127 people were executed in Iran.”
Assadi, who served as the third secretary of the Iranian embassy in Vienna, was arrested in Germany in July 2018 and later extradited to Belgium, where he was tried and convicted for his involvement in the bomb plot. The court found that he had provided a Belgian-Iranian couple with explosives and a detonator, with explicit instructions to target June 30, 2018, National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) rally near Paris. The plot was foiled by European authorities, preventing a potentially devastating terrorist attack.
The decision to release Assadi has raised questions about the commitment of the EU and the Belgian government to combat terrorism and hold those responsible accountable. Critics argue that the prisoner swap sends a message of weakness and may embolden other state-sponsored terrorists to carry out similar attacks, believing that they can ultimately avoid serious consequences.
In response to the criticism, Belgian officials have defended their decision, arguing that the prisoner swap was a necessary step to secure the release of Belgian and European citizens detained in Iran on trumped-up charges. The government maintains that the exchange was carried out in the interests of national security and the well-being of the detained citizens.
27 May 2023 :
(May 24, 2023) - The death sentence of Mohammad Ghobadloo (Qabadlo) has been upheld by the Iranian Supreme Court, his lawyer confirms.
According to HRANA, quoting Didban Iran news outlet, the Iranian Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Mohammad Ghobadloo, who was arrested during the nationwide protests in 2022.
Ghobadloo is facing two separate legal cases, both of which have resulted in a death sentence issued by the Revolutionary Court and Criminal Court. Ghobadloo’s lawyer, Amir Raisian, confirmed the news, stating, “Our request for a retrial regarding the death sentence issued by the Revolutionary Court is still ongoing, and the Supreme Court has not yet made a decision. However, the request for a retrial regarding the death sentence (Qisas) in the Criminal Court has been denied by the Supreme Court.”
In late January 2023, the public relations department of the Supreme Court announced that Mohammad Ghobadloo’s death sentence would be temporarily suspended following a request from his lawyer.
Initially, Ghobadloo was sentenced to death by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, for charges including “spreading corruption on earth through crimes against the physical integrity of people.” Additional charges against him include “destruction of public property” and “acting against national security by causing unrest.”
On December 10, 2022, the Tehran Criminal Court also held a trial against Ghobadloo and subsequently sentenced him to death.
https://www.en-hrana.org/iranian-supreme-court-upholds-death-sentence-of-mohammad-ghobadloo/
https://en.iranhrs.org/confirmation-of-death-sentence-of-mohammad-qabadlo-in-the-supreme-court/
25 May 2023 :
(May 23, 2023) - Iranian Supreme Court Overturns Death Sentence of Protestor Javad Rouhi (Roohi)
The Iranian Supreme Court has overturned the three execution sentences and other punishments previously imposed on Javad Roohi, who was arrested during nationwide protests in Nowshahr.
Roohi’s lawyer, Majid Kaveh, confirmed that Branch 9 of the Iranian Supreme Court responded to Roohi’s request for a retrial and annulled the verdict issued by the Sari Revolutionary Court. The case has now been referred to another court branch for further review.
Back in January 2023 (see HoC January 10 and 19, 2023), Roohi was handed 3 death sentences on charges including “spreading corruption on earth,” “enmity against God (Moharebeh)” for burning the Quran, blasphemy, arson and destruction of property, as well as “insulting people to unrest and assembly and collusion against national security.”
One of the main accusations against Roohi was setting fire to a traffic police station using a Molotov cocktail in Nowshahr. The judge further alleged that he played a leading role in the “unrest” and considered his participation in street dancing during the protests as a criminal act. Roohi has vehemently denied all these accusations. Despite presenting a strong defense, the court dismissed Roohi’s arguments as “pointless” and sentenced him to death.
https://www.en-hrana.org/iranian-supreme-court-overturns-death-sentence-of-protestor-javad-roohi/
24 May 2023 :
(May 21, 2023) - Grave of Zhina Mahsa Amini vandalised in Saqqez
A glass panel on the grave of Zhina Mahsa Amini, whose death in Iranian morality police custody sparked nationwide protests, was smashed by a group of unidentified people in Saqqez, Kurdistan province, on 21 May.
In recent weeks, security officials in Saqqez have used threats and pressure to prevent the construction of a canopy over Amini’s grave, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned.
Saleh Nikbakht, the lawyer for the Amini family, issued a statement saying that photos he had received from the family confirmed the news.
The lawyer said: “They have also prevented the building of a canopy over Zhina’s grave, and the welder who was to build it has been told not to, or his business will be closed.”
Amini’s brother, Ashkan Amini, posted a picture on his Instagram page of the broken glass of his sister’s grave, which has been broken for the second time in recent months.
“The glass of your grave is also bothering them. We will fix it a thousand times and we will see who gets tired”, Amini’s brother wrote in the post.
Zhina Mahsa Amini was arrested by the morality police on 13 September 2022 on one of Tehran’s streets for wearing her hijab “inappropriately”.
Less than two hours after being taken to the Morality Police building on Vozara Street in Tehran, she was taken to Kasra Hospital in an unconscious state due to the severity of the blows to her head inflicted by the officers.
According to published reports, Amini was brain-dead when she was hospitalised. She died three days later, on 16 September, at Kasra Hospital in Tehran.
Although the Islamic Republic, as usual, announced Amini’s cause of death as a heart attack caused by an underlying illness, her family rejected this claim, insisting that their child was perfectly healthy before her arrest.
Several eyewitnesses among the detainees in the same van that took Amini to a detention centre, later confirmed that police officers used violence and beat the young woman severely, fracturing her skull.
According to Amini’s lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, no judicial action has been taken in this case and the investigation has been conducted without the presence of her family and lawyer.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/grave-of-zhina-mahsa-amini-vandalised-in-saqqez-iran/
24 May 2023 :
(May 21, 2023) - A prisoner named Milad Bahmanzadeh died of a heart attack before his execution
According to the report received by Hengaw, on Sunday, May 21, 2023, Milad Bahmanzadeh, died due to anxiety and pressure caused by the possibility of execution of his death sentence. According to a source, Bahmanzadeh was transferred from the Tripple Ward to the Special Ward of Tabriz prison on Sunday for the execution of his death sentence, and died of a heart attack a few hours after being transferred to this ward. So far, there is no precise information about the charges and the reasons for the death sentence of Milad Bahmanzadeh. Hengaw is investigating more details about this prisoner.
14 May 2023 :
(May 13, 2023) - For the sake of completeness, we translate an article published in the official news agency of the Iranian government (IRNA, Islamic Republic News Agency) in which they welcome the appointment of an Iranian official to a position on the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, and ridicule opposition organizations in exile.
Iran presidency over UN forum last nail in coffin for opposition
The United Nation’s Human Rights Council on May 11 chose Iran to preside over its November 2023 Social Forum that aims to explore the role of science and technology in upgrading human rights. The UN’s rights body took the decision despite efforts ongoing over the past months by the Iranian opposition groups to highlight what they have described as human rights violations in the Islamic Republic.
The anti-Iran groups began those efforts following the breakout of unrest in Iran over the death of young woman Mahsa Amini in September 2022. From holding meetings with Western officials to organizing rallies and gatherings against Iran, those groups tried to isolate the Islamic Republic in the international arena, while pushing for more Western sanctions over alleged rights violations by Iran.
And the Human Rights Council’s appointment of Iran’s Ambassador to the UN Office in Geneva Ali Bahreini as the rotating president of its 2023 Social Forum exactly happened after all those measures against the Islamic Republic.
The move caused uproar among the anti-Iran groups and their Western backers, with some launching a petition to stop Iran’s presidency over the forum.
The US described Iran’s presidency of the forum as "deeply troubling", with the State Department’s Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel announcing on May 12 that his country would not attend the sessions of the group this year.
Anti-Iran groups like Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, the Baloch Activists Campaign, the Kurdistan Human Rights Association and Kurdpa Human Rights Organization were among the movements pushing for the petition, despite their record of human rights violations.
Back in 2020, the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center received some $78,000 from the US government under an official contract. The Boroumand Center also has ties with the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO), a terror group responsible for the death of tens of thousands of Iranian civilians over the past decades.
As part of its cooperation with the MKO, the center was engaged in attempts that led to the illegal arrest of Iranian national Hamid Nouri by the Swedish government over his alleged role in the execution of MKO members more than 30 years ago.
According to American media reports, the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center had paid a British lawyer to launch investigations into the executions.
The other three groups, namely the Baloch Activists Campaign, the Kurdistan Human Rights Association and Kurdpa Human Rights Organization, are of no good record either as they are engaged in measures aimed at disintegration of Iran, despite claiming otherwise.
Now, the latest move by the UN Human Rights Council to choose Iran as the rotating president of its Social Forum marks the last nail in the coffin for the opposition groups that have been resorting to different means to isolate the Islamic Republic in the international arena over the past months.
https://en.irna.ir/news/85110506/Iran-presidency-over-UN-forum-last-nail-in-coffin-for-opposition
13 May 2023 :
(May 12, 2023) - 2 foreign citizens released from Iranian prisons
Benjamin Briere and Bernard Phelan
According to HRANA, quoting ISNA News Agency, French citizen Benjamin Briere and French-Irish citizen, Bernard Phelan were released from prison.
Catherine Colonna, the French foreign minister, attributed the freedom of Briere to diplomatic negotiations between Iran and France. Colonna revealed that she spoke with Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian about their release, and Brier and Phelan are on their way back to France.
In May 2020, Briere was arrested by security forces. According to Figaro, he was arrested for flying a small drone in a deserted area in Iran.
On January 25, 2022, after being detained for over 600 days at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad City, Briere was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison for “espionage and propaganda against the regime” by Branch 4 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad. Two other charges of “spreading corruption on earth” and “alcohol drinking” was dismissed by the court. In July of the last year, this verdict was upheld on appeal.
As for Bernard Phelan, the Iranian embassy in Ireland stated that his release was due to amnesty for humanitarian reasons and for showing goodwill in diplomatic relations between Iran and Ireland.
Phelan, who is 64 years old, was arrested by Iranian security forces during his last trip to Iran on October 3, 2022. He was later identified by the Irish Times as being held in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad.
Phelan’s sister has previously stated that he was sentenced to six years and six months in prison for allegedly “providing information to another country,” among other charges.
https://www.en-hrana.org/french-citizen-benjamin-briere-released-from-iranian-prison/
https://www.en-hrana.org/french-irish-citizen-bernard-phelan-freed-from-jail-in-iran/
13 May 2023 :
(May 11, 2023) - Appointment of Iran to chair the UN Human Rights Council’s 2023 Social Forum.
The appointment of Ali Bahreini, the Islamic Republic’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, to chair the UN Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) 2023 Social Forum, is an outrage and should be retracted immediately, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said in a statement today.
Václav Balek, President of the UNHRC, announced his selection of the Iranian ambassador in a letter dated May 10, 2023, stating that Bahreini had been selected from candidates nominated by regional groups.
“The appointment of an Iranian official to chair a UNHRC body, while the Council is investigating the Islamic Republic’s slaughtering of hundreds of peaceful protesters, reflects a shocking ethical blindness,” said Hadi Ghaemi, CHRI executive director.
The UNHRC’s own appointed top expert on Iran, Special Rapporteur Javaid Rehman, has described the Islamic Republic’s actions over the last months as rising to the level of “crimes against humanity,” Ghaemi noted.
CHRI urgently calls on governments worldwide to communicate directly with UNHRC President Václav Balek to demand that this appointment be retracted immediately in order to maintain the legitimacy and credibility of the UNHRC.
The UNHRC’s 2023 Social Forum, to be held on November 2 and 3, 2023, is to focus on the contribution of science, technology and innovation to the promotion of human rights, including in the context of post-pandemic recovery. Given the Islamic Republic’s egregious human rights violations, and its catastrophic and politicized handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, in which its refusal to import Western vaccines cost hundreds of thousands of Iranian lives, it is inexplicable that UNHRC President Balek would choose Iran’s UN ambassador, CHRI said.
CHRI calls on Balek to immediately replace Bahreini with another candidate that would equally satisfy the UNHRC’s principle of regional rotation.
UNHRC: Retract Appointment of Iranian Ambassador to Chair Social Forum – Center for Human Rights in Iran (iranhumanrights.org)
https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/ncri-statements/statement-human-rights/iranian-resistance-condemns-decision-to-appoint-foremost-human-rights-violator-as-unhcr-chair/
12 May 2023 :
(May 11, 2023) - Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentences of Three Protesters
Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi e Saeed Yaghoubi
Branch 9 of the Iranian Supreme Court has confirmed the death sentences of three protestors who were arrested during the nationwide protests in 2022 in Isfahan. Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi, and Saeed Yaghoubi were accused of enmity against God (Moharebeh) in a legal case known as “Khaneh e Isfahan (Isfahan House).”
According to HRANA, the Supreme Court of Iran upheld death sentences against three protests arrested during the nationwide protests of 2022.
Amir Kazemi, Majid Kazemi’s cousin, spoke to HRANA and shared details about the case: “Branch 9 of the Supreme Court, presided over by Judge Ghasem Mazinani, dismissed the appeal request and upheld the death sentences. The highest judicial authority in Iran upheld these verdicts without considering the errors and defects in this legal case.”
Kazemi added, “The death penalty for the three first-row defendants was upheld, despite judiciary officials’ promise to their families that they would be granted amnesty on Eid al-Fitr (Holiday of Breaking the Fast). Coerced confessions were the only evidence presented during the trial. There was no evidence proving the claim that warm weapons were discovered from the defendants.”
Earlier, in a phone call to his relative from prison, Majid Kazemi revealed that they were tortured and coerced into confessing.
Initially, Saleh Mir Hashemi was sentenced to death for “Moharebeh through using a Colt gun,” “forming and running groups to act against national security,” and “assembly and collusion against national security.” He also received ten years for “membership and collaboration with Monafeghin.”
Majid Kazemi and Saeed Yaghoubi were sentenced to death for “Moharebeh through using warm weapons” and ten years in prison for “forming and running groups to act against national security” and “assembly and collusion against national security.”
The fourth-row defendant, Amir Nasr Azadani, was sentenced to 16 years for “assisting in enmity against God,” five years for “membership in illegal groups to act against national security,” and five years for “assembly and collusion against national security.”
The fifth-row defendant, Soheid Jahangiri, was sentenced to two years for “assembly and collusion against national security.” The sixth-row defendant, Jaber Mirhashemi, was acquitted of all charges.
On their cases see also HoC 27/12/2022 and 09/01/2023
https://www.en-hrana.org/iran-protests-supreme-court-upholds-death-sentences-of-three-protesters/
10 May 2023 :
(May 10, 2013) - Between 29 April and 8 May, 118 people were executed in Iran, including 2 women.
Every year, during the holy month of Ramadan (this year from March 22 to April 21), executions are traditionally suspended. It is normal that at the end of Ramadan there is a sharp increase in executions, , as if they had to make up for lost time. Never before, however, had such a high level been reached, 118 executions in 10 days, almost 12 a day.
An extraordinarily high percentage of these executions concerned men and women of the Baluch ethnic group: 24 men and 2 women.
The Baluchi, or Baloch, are the predominant ethnic group living in the Balochistan region (Baluchistan), an arid region of south-western Asia, politically divided between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.
The inhabitants of this region are about 15 million, divided 60% between Pakistan, 25% Iran, and the remainder in Afghanistan, in the Kandahar area. They are predominantly Sunni Muslims. The most important cities of the Iranian region administratively called 'Sistan and Baluchistan' are Zahedan and Zabol. Although the Iranian region, which overall has about 2.5 million inhabitants, is known for its wealth of minerals, gas, oil, gold and marine resources, Iranian Baluchistan remains one of the poorest and least developed provinces of Iran. Due to the "economic" hostility of the central government, the Baluchi have developed a habit of international drug trafficking. From this point of view, the Baluchi are comparable to the Kurdish minorities, who are also deliberately kept in underdeveloped conditions in the region they occupy on the border between Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. The Kurds, through the 'Kolbar' phenomenon, practice the smuggling of goods and petroleum products (not drugs) on the mountainous paths of their region, and each year they suffer several dozen killings by the Iranian border patrols, who try to also stem them using anti-personnel mines.
08 May 2023 :
(May 6, 2023) - EU condemns execution of Iranian-Swedish dissident Habib Chaab
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom condemned Saturday the execution of Swedish-Iranian dissident Habib Chaab, as the Iranian judiciary announced Chaab’s death sentence had been carried out after a conviction for “terrorism.”
“The death penalty is an inhuman and irreversible punishment and Sweden, together with the rest of the EU, condemns its application in all circumstances,” Billstrom, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, wrote on Twitter.
He added that Stockholm had contacted Tehran “and demanded that the sentence not be carried out.”
Chaab had been held in Iran since October 2020 after he vanished during a visit to Turkey before going on trial in Tehran, which does not recognize dual nationality.
Convicted of “corruption on earth” for heading a rebel group, he was condemned to death on December 6 -- a decision denounced by Sweden -- and Iran’s supreme court upheld the sentence in March.
Iranian authorities accused Chaab of staging attacks since 2005 “under the protection of two spy services, including the Mossad and Sapo” -- the Israeli and Swedish agencies, respectively.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2023/05/06/EU-condemns-execution-of-Iranian-Swedish-dissident-Habib-Chaab-
https://english.shabtabnews.com/2023/05/06/eu-condemns-execution-of-iranian-swedish-dissident-habib-chaab/
30 April 2023 :
(27 April, 2023) - KHRN has released its annual report on the situation of human rights in Iran, with a special focus on the problems of the Kurdish ethnic group
KHRN is based on the Islamic year, which is March 20220 to March 2023.
The report covers the human rights situation of Kurds in Iran from 21 March 2022 to 20 March 2023. As in previous years, the violation of the rights of Kurdish people on the basis of their language, religion, culture, gender, sexual orientation, class, political choices, etc. continued due to the discriminatory laws of the Islamic Republic and the repressive and violent actions of the security, military, judicial and executive institutions of the government.
In this report, statistics have been collected on people killed during recent anti-government protests, people arrested, killings and wounding of kolbars, killings of civilians, executions, killings and assassinations of opposition forces, femicide cases, civilian deaths caused by landmine explosions, and deaths and injuries at work.
Despite the efforts of the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) to inform and document numerous cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan, it is necessary to emphasise that the statistics and information provided in this report only include those that have been previously confirmed and published by KHRN, and in cases where news and information from other sources have been used, KHRN has taken the necessary measures to independently verify them. However, we believe that this report does not include all cases of violations of the rights of Kurdish civilians in Iran, and there are certainly many other cases that have not been reported for various reasons, including pressure from the security institutions on individuals and families to prevent them from speaking to the media and organisations.
During this period, we also witnessed massive and unprecedented anti-government protests in many cities in Iran, which are still ongoing. This uprising, known as the Revolution of Zhina or Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (meaning Woman, Life, Freedom in Kurdish) or Zan, Zendegi Azadi (meaning Woman, Life, Freedom in Persian), began after the killing of the Kurdish woman Zhina Mahsa Amini by the government, which was followed by people gathering in front of Kasra Hospital in Tehran on 16 September 2022, and with a large presence of people at Ms Amini’s funeral in her hometown of Saqqez, Kurdistan province.
Zhina Mahsa Amini was arrested by the Morality Police on 13 September 2022 in one of Tehran’s streets for wearing her hijab “inappropriately”. Less than two hours after being taken to the Morality Police building on Vozara Street in Tehran, she was taken to Kasra Hospital in an unconscious state due to the severity of the blows to her head inflicted by the officers. According to published reports, Amini was brain dead when she was taken to hospital. She died three days later, on 16 September, at Kasra Hospital in Tehran.
Although the Islamic Republic, as usual, announced Amini’s cause of death as a heart attack caused by an underlying illness, her family rejected this claim, insisting that their child was perfectly healthy before her arrest. Several eyewitnesses, who were among the detainees in the same van that took Amini to a detention centre, later confirmed that police officers used violence and severely beat the young woman, fracturing her skull. According to Amini’s lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, no judicial action has been taken in this case and the investigation has been conducted without the presence of her family and lawyer.
The killing of Zhina Mahsa Amini by the government led to a massive wave of anti-government protests in Iran, of which the different cities of Kurdistan were and are among the main centres. During these unprecedented protests, thousands of people were arrested and hundreds of people were killed by the military-security forces of the Islamic Republic. Thousands of people were also injured as a result of shooting and beating by the military-security forces, some of them with irreparable injuries, including blindness.
Many of the detainees remain in detention centres and prisons with arrest warrants or prison sentences. Meanwhile, at least eight Kurdish civilians detained in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, Sanandaj and Orumiyeh have been charged with “enmity against God” (moharebeh) and “spreading corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel arz), offences for which the death penalty is a possible verdict under the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The report contains the following chapters:
Civilians killed in street protests;
Protesters tortured and killed in detention centres;
Protesters died after release from detention centres;
Suspicious deaths during anti-government protests;
Executions for taking part in protests;
Killings and deaths in detention centres and prisons;
Killings of civilians;
Killings and assassinations of opposition forces;
Kolbars;
Femicide;
Workers;
Exploding landmines and ammunition;
Detentions and arrests;
Prison sentences.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/annual-report-mar-2022-mar-2023/
28 April 2023 :
(April 26, 2023) - The Islamic Republic’s Judiciary Spokesperson announced the confirmation of 68-year-old German-Iranian citizen, Jamshid Sharmahd’s death sentence by the Supreme Court. He was kidnapped by Islamic Republic agents on a layover in Dubai in 2020.
Iran Human Rights calls on the international community to stop Jamshid Sharmahd’s execution by taking urgent and appropriate action, and not to remain silent against the Islamic Republic’s hostage diplomacy.
Iran Human Rights Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “Jamshid Sharmahd is at serious risk of execution and such a crime can only be stopped by raising the cost of his execution through decisive action by the international community, especially the European Union.”
Speaking at a press conference on April 26, the Islamic Republic’s Judiciary Spokesperson, Masoud Setayeshi stated that Jamshid Sharmahd’s death sentence had been upheld by the Supreme Court and that “implementation measures will be taken accordingly.”
Furthermore, the Supreme Court’s public relations announced that “Jamshid Sharmahd’s case was upheld by the Supreme Court based on Article 469(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.”
Jamshid Sharmahd is a German-Iranian dissident activist who was kidnapped on a layover in Dubai when flying to the United States, his country of residence, from India. He last spoke to his wife on 28 July 2020. On 1 August, Minister of Intelligence and Security Mahmoud Alavi announced on state television that Jamshid Sharmahd, the head of Tondar group, had been arrested “following a complex operation” and aired a video of him stating his name while blindfolded with a black cloth. Charges related to a 2010 Mosque bombing, for which three men had already been executed, were brought against him.
Tondar was the media group for “Kindgom Assembly of Iran” which is considered a dissident political group against the Islamic Republic. The Ministry of Intelligence has labelled the group a terrorist organisation.
After being held in pre-trial detention for over a year and a half, his first hearing was held on 6 February 2022. Presided by Judge Salavati, a “hanging judge” on the US sanctions list, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court held multiple hearings on the accusations of “efsad- fil-arz by planning and directing terrorist acts”, including the 2010 bombing. He was sentenced to death today. Jamshid has been held in solitary confinement since his arrest and denied legal representation, due process and the right to a fair trial. Jamshid was sentenced to death on 21 February 2023.
Kidnapping dissidents from neighbouring countries is becoming common practice. Iran Human Rights previously warned that “Failure by the international community to respond adequately to these unlawful acts will lead to its normalisation.”
Arresting political dissidents outside of Iran is not unprecedented. Ruhollah Zam, the director of Amad News Telegram channel, was arrested in Iraq in October 2019 and transported to Iran. He was executed on 12 December 2020. Iranian-Swedish dissident, Habib Chaab was also kidnapped from Turkey in October 2020 and tried for corruption charges. He’s currently awaiting sentencing.
Germany has condemned the sentence as "unacceptable" and declared two staff members at Iran's embassy in Berlin personae non gratae, ordering them to leave the country.
Tehran, in turn, expelled 2 German diplomats last month.
At least 16 Western passport-holders, including 6 French, are being held in Iran on various charges. Most hold dual nationality, which Iran does not recognise.
3 dual nationals including Sharmahd have been sentenced to death or executed over security-related charges since the start of the year, according to the judiciary.
The execution in January of Alireza Akbari, a former Iranian official with British citizenship convicted of espionage, has provoked international outcry.
On the Sharmahd case see also HoC 04/08/2020, 01/11/2020, 27/04/2021, 20, 22 and 23/02/2023.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5830/
https://www.en-hrana.org/iranian-supreme-court-upholds-jamshid-sharmahds-death-sentence/
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/04/iran-upholds-german-dual-nationals-death-sentence
30 April 2023 :
(April 26, 2023) Plea to Save Ahmadreza Djalali, Iranian-Swedish Scholar in Death Row
An international network protecting academic freedom reiterated its call for the immediate release of an Iranian-Swedish scholar who has been imprisoned for 7 years and faces execution in Iran.
In an e-mail sent to the prime ministers of Sweden and Belgium on April 26, the executive director of New York-based Scholars at Risk, Robert Quinn, urged the two heads of government to do everything in their power to secure the release of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali “before it is too late.”
“Today marks seven years since Dr. Djalali was arbitrarily arrested by Iranian authorities. Dr. Djalali has endured over 2,550 days in Tehran’s Evin Prison under cruel and inhumane conditions, including torture and continuous threats of imminent execution,” Quinn added.
Djalali was arrested during an academic visit to Iran in 2016 and was sentenced to death on the charges of espionage and treason following what human rights organizations called a “grossly unfair” trial.
He specializes in disaster relief and is a scholar at Belgium’s Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
Western governments have repeatedly accused the Islamic Republic of taking dual and foreign nationals hostage to use them in prisoner swaps or as a bargaining chip in international negotiations.
On the Djalali case see also HoC 03/08/2019, 03/08/2019, 21/08/2019, 18/12/2019, 24/11/2020, 25/11/2020, 01/12/2020, 02/12/2020, 16/12/2020, 18/12/2020, 18/03/2021, 30/03/2021, 15/04/2021, 09/04/2022, 02/05/2022, 04/05/2022, 09/05/2022, 21/05/2022, 24/05/2022, 24/05/2022.
https://iranwire.com/en/news/115992-plea-to-save-iranian-swedish-scholar-in-death-row/
18 April 2023 :
(April 17, 2023) - Nayeb Askari sentences to death for second time
Branch Two of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh has sentenced Kurdish political prisoner Nayeb Askari again to death on charges of “enmity against God” (moharebeh) through “membership” in the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK).
In 2018, the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh sentenced him to death on the same charge in absentia.
The sentence was overturned after his appeal against the ruling and was referred to the second branch of the court.
The recent verdict was communicated to the political prisoner’s lawyer on 15 April.
Askari suffers from kidney stone disease and despite the advice of the prison doctors to send him to a hospital outside the prison, he has been denied access to proper medical treatment due to the opposition of prison officials.
Askari was arrested in Orumiyeh on 24 March 2021 by the Intelligence Organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
He was sent to Orumiyeh Central Prison after spending three months in the detention facility of the IRGC’s intelligence organisation.
He lived in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq for several years before his arrest.
In 2018, during his stay in the Kurdistan Region, the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh sentenced him to death in absentia.
The court charged him with “enmity against God” (Moharebeh) through “membership” in the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK).
In August 2021, a court sentenced Askari and two other Kurdish political prisoners, Keyhan Mokarram and Nayeb Hajizadeh, to 50 lashes and three months in prison.
The sentence came after the head of Orumiyeh Central Prison filed a complaint, accusing the prisoners of “disrupting the prison order” due to their involvement in a fight between several political prisoners and general crime prisoners.
The case was filed following general crime prisoners’ beating of a Kurdish political prisoner.
On 26 July 2021, Askari went on a hunger strike to protest against the judicial authorities’ failure to issue an order for transferring him to a hospital outside the prison for treatment.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-sentences-kurdish-political-prisoner-to-death-for-second-time/
https://www.en-hrana.org/political-prisoner-nayeb-askari-sentenced-to-death-for-enmity-against-god/
13 April 2023 :
(April 13, 2023) - IHR: Report on the Death Penalty in Iran 2022
At least 582 people were executed in 2022, a 75% increase compared to 333 in 2021.
According to the Hands Off Cain Data Center, the executions in 2022 should have been "at least 646".
The 15th Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran, by Iran Human Rights and ECPM reveals the highest annual number of executions since 2015. At least 582 people were executed, an increase of 75% compared to 2021. In 2022, Iran’s authorities demonstrated how crucial the death penalty is to instil societal fear in order to hold onto power.
2022 Annual Report at a glance
At least 582 people were executed in 2022, a 75% increase compared to 333 in 2021
71 executions (12%) were announced by official sources compared to 16.5% in 2021 and an average of 33% in 2018-2020
88% of all executions included in the 2022 report, i.e. 511 executions, were not announced by the authorities.
At least 288 executions (49% of all executions) were for murder charges, the highest in more than 15 years.
At least 256 (44 %) were executed for drug-related charges compared to 126 (38%) in 2021 and an average of 24 per year in 2018-2020
Only 3 of the 256 drug-related executions (1.2%) were announced by official sources
At least 23 people were executed for rape charges
At least 15 people, among them 2 protesters, were executed for security-related charges (moharebeh and efsad-fil-arz)
Two people, including one protester, were hanged in public spaces
At least 3 juvenile offenders were among those executed
At least 16 women were executed
At least 273 executions in 2022 and more than 4,029 executions since 2010 have been based on death sentences issued by the Revolutionary Courts
At least 624 prisoners sentenced to death for murder charges were forgiven by the families of the murder victims per qisas laws
Full report at: https://iranhr.net/media/files/Rapport_iran_2022_PirQr2V.pdf
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5814/
15 April 2023 :
(April 12, 2023) - On April 12, a press conference was held in the Italian Parliament, where a group of Italian senators announced a new bipartisan initiative for a change in the policy on Iran.
The conference included distinguished members of the Italian Parliament, including Senators Giulio Terzi, Lucio Malan, and Marco Scurria, as well as representatives Elisabetta Gardini, Emanuele Pozzolo, and Stefania Ascari.
The conference addressed the impact of the Iranian people’s protests for freedom and the poisoning of schoolgirls in Iran and called for the blacklisting of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
The initiative follows months of anti-regime protests in Iran, which were met with a brutal crackdown by the regime, resulting in the killing of 750 protesters.
At the conference, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council Resistance of Iran (NCRI), spoke about the importance of the Italian Senate’s support for the Iranian uprising and Resistance. She commended the Senate’s rejection of monarchical and religious dictatorship, a crucial step towards embracing the programs of the Iranian Resistance.
Mrs. Rajavi emphasized that the responsibility for advancing the uprising lies with the democratic alternative, namely the NCRI, a coalition of groups and individuals with diverse political and ideological leanings. Founded 42 years ago to overthrow the regime, the NCRI aims to build a future based on the people’s sovereignty and fundamental principles such as gender equality, autonomy for nationalities, abolition of the death penalty, and a non-nuclear Iran.
She noted that during the 2009 uprising, Italy’s embassy in Tehran provided refuge to protesters fleeing from the IRGC. Today, the people of Iran are hoping that Italy will take a stronger stance against the regime and declare the IRGC a terrorist organization, cease all trade with the regime, and not supply fuel to the machinery of repression, terrorism, and warmongering.
Mrs. Rajavi emphasized that the Iranian people’s determination to achieve freedom and democracy cannot be suppressed, and the clerical regime is unable to maintain its rule in the face of the tide of uprisings. She called on Western governments to fundamentally reassess their Iran policies and stand in solidarity with the Iranian people. The great Iran uprising has irreversibly changed the conditions of Iranian society and the status of the regime.
Giulio Terzi emphasized the importance of understanding the situation in Iran, commending Mrs. Rajavi and the people of Ashraf 3 for representing the Iranian people and their resistance movement.
Terzi noted that the martyrs of the resistance have sacrificed their lives to stand against the regime. He recommended that a delegation from the Italian Parliament should visit Ashraf 3 to better understand the situation.
Emanuele Pozzolo expressed pride in the regime objecting to their visit to Ashraf 3 and the need to express solidarity with the Iranian people.
Marco Scurria emphasized the need for strong support for the Iranian people and their resistance movement, including bringing the Iran issue to the next Human Rights Council meeting.
Andrea Di Giuseppe called for a change in Western governments’ policy towards Iran and emphasized the need to stand in solidarity with the Iranian people.
Stefania Ascari stressed the importance of lawmakers visiting the Ashraf 3 museum to see the struggles of the Iranian people. She called on Parliament to stand in solidarity with them and not stay silent.
The speakers at the conference recommended a new policy on Iran, including the blacklisting of the IRGC, as the regime is trying to quell any kind of resistance. They emphasized the importance of standing with those who believe in freedom and not giving in to the demands of the regime.
https://irannewsupdate.com/news/iranian-opposition/italian-parliament-conference-discusses-building-a-democratic-republic-in-iran/
https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/parlamento/ottimo-esempio-donne-dalliran-promuovono-modello-italia-2137948.html
12 April 2023 :
(April 9, 2023) - Pastor released from Iranian prison----Yousef Nadarkhani was the 3rd Christian convert recently released from prison as part of the government’s annual amnesty marking the anniversary of the 1979 revolution.
Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani was released Feb. 26, Morning Star News reported. In 2010, he was given the death penalty for leaving Islam to become a Christian. He was acquitted in 2012. However, he was deemed guilty of evangelizing, for which he received a 3-year sentence.
Then, in May 2016, he and his wife were arrested after Ministry of Intelligence agents raided house churches and homes of Christians in Rasht. That July, he was accused of “crimes against national security” and of spreading Zionist Christianity.
The next year, he, his wife and 2 other Christians were given 10-year sentences. Additionally, Nadarkhani’s penalty was to include two years of exile, Morning Star reported.
2 other Christians released in February 2023 are Hadi Rahimi and Zaman Fadaei.
Iran is No. 8 on Open Doors’ 2023 World Watch List of places most difficult to be a Christian.
10 April 2023 :
(April 7, 2023) - Protester Mojahed Kourkour (Korkori, Kurkuri) Sentenced to Death as Cover-up for the state killing of 10 years-old Kian Pirfalak. According to the news agency of Iran’s judiciary, Mizan, Abbas (Mojahed) Korkori, a resident of Izeh, has been sentenced to death by the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court on charges of “enmity against God (moharebeh)” and “spreading corruption on earth.” Korkori was also convicted of the destruction of private and public properties, forming and participating in anti-regime groups, and armed rebellion against the regime.
The Revolutionary Court claims that Korkori was found guilty based on evidence obtained by CCTV cameras and Criminal Justice expert reports, which testify that the bullets that led to the death of 10-year-old Kian Pirfalak during protests in Izeh, were shot from the gun discovered with the defendant.
Additionally, weapons, bullets, and Molotov cocktails were discovered at the defendant’s hideout, and the Governor of Izeh reported damages caused by the defendant and his associates to public and government properties.
“This verdict is not final and can be appealed to the Supreme Court,” the report asserts.
Kourkour was arrested during the nationwide protests in Izeh. On November 16, 10-year-old Kian Pirfalak and several others were shot by security forces.
Mojahed and his co-defendants, Human Seidali and Bahman Bahmani have been scapegoated as the perpetrators of those murders.
Condemning the false charges and use of the cruel and inhumane death penalty against protesters, Iran Human Rights demands an independent investigation outside the jurisdiction of Islamic Republic authorities into the case of Kian Pirfalak and all others killed in the nationwide protests.
Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “The cruel and unlawful death sentence against Mojahed Kourkour was issued for the sole purpose of creating societal fear and covering up the murder of Kian Pirfalak. The responsibility for the murder of Kian and at least 67 other children rests solely with Ali Khamenei and the forces under his command. They are the ones who should be held accountable for these crimes.”
Kian Pirfalak’s parents, uncle and lawyer have previously stated that his murder was carried out by security forces and they have no complaints against Mojahed Kourkour.
Speaking to IHR, a source said: “Mojahed Kourkour wasn’t even at the protest on the night of November 16 when seven people including Kian Pirfalak were killed. He took to the streets in protest to these brutal killings the next day. That’s when he was identified and arrested 40 days later.”
On December 20, security forces attacked a house in Porsourakh village in Ghaleh Tal city, located in Khuzestan province. Two people named Hassan Saeedi and Mahmood Ahmadi were killed in the attack and two people were arrested. Mojahed Kourkour was shot during his arrest.
Mojahed’s foced confessions were aired on December 30 prior to the commencement of his legal proceedings. According to informed sources, Human Seidali who was arrested with Mojahed, and Bahman Bahmani are co-defendants in the case while “Bahman Bahmani wasn’t even with them and wasn’t even in Porsourakh village on the day of the attack by security forces. But they forced him to say that he was with them.”
The source continued: “So far, they haven’t allowed Mojahed Kourkour’s family to visit him and the family don’t even know where exactly he’s being held. He has only been permitted to make calls to his family on an irregular basis. In the calls, he said the bullet was removed from his leg but didn’t complete the treatment, to the point that he nearly lost his leg. They also didn’t let the family hire a lawyer for him and a court-appointed lawyer was present at his trial.”
Mojahed Kourkour has also been indicted by Branch One of the Ahvaz Criminal Court for the murder of Kian Pirfalak. It seems that authorities want to cover up the role of their repressive forces in the murder of seven people including Kian Pirfalak by executing innocent protesters. Iran Human Rights calls on the international community to take urgent action to prevent his execution while there is still time.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5807/
https://www.en-hrana.org/abbas-korkori-sentenced-to-death/
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/04/07/Iran-sentences-man-accused-of-killing-seven-during-protests-to-death
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5807/
08 April 2023 :
(April 5, 2023) - In Iranian year 1401, at least 701 prisoners were executed in Iran’s prisons. Among the executed prisoners, at least 19 women are seen. The Persian Year 1401 goes from March 21 2022 to March 20, 2023.
05 April 2023 :
(April 4, 2023) - Report on 200 Days of Protest Repression/List of at Risk Protesters
(IHR, taking advantage of the fact that no executions are usually carried out during the month of Ramadam, had the time to compile an accurate 43-page file (here the English version: https://iranhr.net/media/files/APRIL_PDF_LIST.docx.pdf ) with an account after the first 200 days of the protests following the killing of Mahsa Amini in September. Cases of people at risk of hanging for being arrested during protests are also indicated and briefly described. HoC publishes an abbreviated version, referring to the original file for those who may want more information, including a rich photographic kit.)
In the 200 days since the start of the nationwide protests, at least 537 people have been killed by state forces according to Iran Human Rights records. The majority were killed in the first months of protests. The Islamic Republic has also executed four protesters after show trials and without due process, which were met with a strong backlash by the international community.
However, in the same time period, at least 309 people were executed across Iran which the international community has failed to react to. Of those, 180 were executed for drug-related charges.
Emphasising that the Islamic Republic uses the death penalty as a tool of intimidation, Iran Human Rights considers the significant rise in execution numbers during the nationwide protests to be in line with this.
Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “International attention and backlash to the execution of protesters increased the political cost of these executions for the Islamic Republic but it wasn’t enough to stop its execution and killing machine. To intimidate and create societal fear, executions for non-political crimes were intensified. Now, the international community’s lack of reaction to the daily executions in Iran can lead to an unprecedented wave of executions of those charged with drug offences, the low-cost victims of the Islamic Republic’s execution machine.”
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least 537 people including 48 women and 68 children have been killed by security forces since the start of the nationwide protests 200 days ago.
The aforementioned numbers only relate to protests on the streets. The protesters executed and those that have died under suspicious circumstances (include alleged suicides) shortly after release, are not included in these statistics.
The time distribution of people killed in nationwide protests is: 223 victims in September (from 17 to 30), 100 in October, 173 in November and 25 in December. At least 16 others have been killed from January-March 2023. Some were those injured in previous months’ protests who succumbed to their injuries.
The execution trends during the protests are: 5 executions in September (from 17 to 30), 30 in October, 57 in November, 72 in December.
There was a spike in executions for non-political crimes in the weeks after the start of the nationwide protests. In the last three and half months of 2022, at least 164 people, including two protesters, were executed in Iran. This trend continued into 2023, with at least 145 people, including two protesters, executed in the first three months of the year.
Death Toll by Province
Protesters have been killed in 26 provinces (out of 31), with the most reported in Sistan and Baluchistan, Western Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Tehran and Mazandaran respectively.
Deaths have been recorded in: Sistan and Baluchistan: 134 people; Tehran: 69 people; Kurdistan: 57 people; West Azerbaijan: 56 people; Mazandaran: 41 people; Alborz: 31 people; Gilan: 28 people; Kermanshah: 24 people; Isfahan: 19 people; Khuzestan: 17 people; Fars: 15 people; Khorasan-Razavi: 9 people; East Azerbaijan: 5 people; Qazvin: 5 people; Zanjan: 3 people; Lorestan: 3 people; Markazi: 3 people; Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad: 3 people; Hamedan: 2 people; Ardabil: 2 people; Ilam: 2 people; Bushehr: 2 people; Hormozgan: 2 people; Golestan: 2 people; Semnan: 1 person; North Khorasan: 1 person.
Crucial to note: Iran Human Rights started researching and recording protester deaths from the outset of protests. In the course of research and as new information is obtained, the data will be adjusted accordingly. As such, it is reflected in the change in province numbers. The number of protesters killed are an absolute minimum and do not include security forces.
PROTESTERS AT RISK OF EXECUTION, DEATH PENALTY CHARGES OR SENTENCES IN IRAN
This list includes both officially reported cases and those reported by family members and citizen journalists. Iran Human Rights has been unable to confirm the details of all individual cases and therefore requests that anyone with information about protesters at risk of death penalty charges or sentences contact us on mail@iranhr.net or 0061478494849 on Signal, WhatsApp or Telegram. Due to a lack of transparency in the Islamic Republic Judiciary and the pressure on families to stay silent, the numbers are an absolute minimum.
Since the January 27 list, nine people were removed: ten were released on bail and one whose death sentence was commuted to a prison term. Seven people at risk were added to the list. Of the 105 people, 19 have been sentenced to death in the preliminary trials with some at appeal stage and retrial.
Protesters at risk according to province: Khuzestan: 25 people; Sistan and Baluchistan: 21 people; Tehran: 19 people; Mazandaran: 9 people; Isfahan: 7 people; West Azerbaijan: 7 people; Gilan: 5 people; Alborz: 3 people; Razavi Khorasan: 3 people; Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari: 2 people; Kurdistan: 2 people; East Azerbaijan: 1 person; Kermanshah: 1 person.
It is important to note that all defendants in the following cases have been deprived of the right to access their own lawyer, due process and fair trials. In cases where they have had managed to make contact or details of their cases reported by cellmates and human rights defenders, all have been subjected to physical and mental torture to force false self-incriminating confessions. In many cases, their forced confessions were aired prior to the commencement of any legal proceedings, violating their right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. The forced confessions are used as a method of proving guilt at show trials. There is ambiguity in many cases due to the Islamic Republic’s lack of transparency. Those no longer at risk have been removed from the list with updates added at the end of the report.
Sistan & Baluchistan Province
Tehran Province
Khuzestan Province
Mazandaran Province
Isfahan Province
Gilan Province
Alborz Province
Razavi Khorasan Province
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province
Kurdistan Province
Kermanshah Province
East Azerbaijan Province
Update on protesters removed from the list:
Most of these people are accused of “Moharebeh” and/or “Efsad-fil-arz”.
Moharebeh
Article 279 of the IPC defines moharebeh (enmity against god) as “drawing a weapon on the life, property or chastity of people or to cause terror as it creates the atmosphere of insecurity.” Article 282 sets out the punishments of “death penalty, crucifixion, amputation of right hand and left leg and banishment” which the judge has the discretion to choose per Article 283. This includes “bandits, robbers and smugglers” who take up arms (Article 281 of the IPC).
Under the previous IPC, which was in force until 2013, the charge of moharebeh was frequently used against political dissidents and people with connections to opposition groups abroad, regardless of whether they had personally used force or not. The current IPC has provided for their punishment under the vague charges of efsad- fil-arz and baghy.
Efsad-fil-arz
Article 286 of the IPC defines efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) as the crime committed by a person “on an extensive level against the physical integrity of others, the domestic or external security, spreads lies, disrupts the national economic system, undertakes arson and destruction, disseminates poisonous, microbiological and dangerous substances, establishes corruption and prostitution centres or assists in establishing them.” However, this article does not provide concrete definitions for the term “crime” and the scope of “extensive” for its purpose, giving judges more power to interpret the law at their own discretion.
Translator's note: the number 6 is missing from the numbering of persons at risk of execution. We have not corrected the numbering so as not to complicate any consultation of the original file.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5795/
04 April 2023 :
(April 2, 2023) - 48 Kurdish citizens executed during the first three months of 2023
During the first three months of 2023, at least 48 Kurdish prisoners were executed in Iranian prisons, three of whom were political prisoners, and this figure has increased by 270% compared to the same period last year.
Based on the statistics registered in the Statistics and Documents Center of Hengaw, during the first three months of 2023 at least 48 Kurdish prisoners have been executed in the Iranian prisons in Kurdistan and other Iranian cities. This statistic is equivalent to 34% of the total number of executions that have been carried out in entire Iran during the last three months.
This statistic has increased by 270% compared to the same period last year when 13 Kurdish prisoners were executed. Hengaw believes that the Iranian government has increased the execution of Kurdish citizens, especially in the prisons of the central cities of Iran, to create terror and revenge on Kurdistan due to the recent” Jina revolution”.
Separation by charge:
Political: 3 cases, equal to 6% of total cases. Premeditated murder: 16 cases equal to 33.5% of total cases. Drug trafficking: 27 cases equal to 56% of total cases. Robbery: 2 cases equal 4.5% of total cases.
Separation according to the place of execution
West Azarbaijan Province (Urmia): 19 cases Kermanshah province: 8 cases Kurdistan province (Sanandaj): 3 cases Ilam province: 2 cases
Prisons in other Iranian cities: 16 cases
04 April 2023 :
(MARCH 30, 2023) - Iranian Protester’s Death Sentence Overturned, Replaced By Imprisonment
An Iranian court has canceled the death sentence handed down to a man accused of damaging public property during protests in Tehran last year, his lawyer says.
The lawyer, Hamed Ahmadi, said that the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Sahand Noor Mohammadzadeh to 5 years imprisonment for gathering and collusion, 1 year for disturbing public order and 10 years of exile in Kerman province.
Ahmadi said that he expects his client to spend his years in internal exile in prison since he won’t be allowed to have any contact with anyone in Kerman.
Mohammadzadeh was arrested on October 4, 2022, and sentenced to death 2 months later on charges of “waging war against God” for allegedly attempting to break the guardrail of a highway and setting fire to a rubbish bin.
The sentence was based on a video in which the defendant could not be seen trying to break a guardrail or setting a fire.
In an audio file sent to IranWire in December, Mohammadzadeh rejected the accusations against him. He also said that, due to pressure exerted on him by his interrogator and the judge, he was forced to admit guilt and sign papers without even reading them.
Iran has been swept by anti-government protests since the September death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, while in police custody.
The security forces have cracked down hard on the women-led protest movement, killing more than 520 people and unlawfully detaining over 20,000, activists say.
Following biased trials, the judiciary has handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.
23 March 2023 :
(March 22, 2023) - A woman and four men sentenced to death for spying for Israel.
Nasim Namazi, Wafa Hanareh, Aram Omari Bardiani, Rahman Parhazo and Mansour Rasouli.
According to the report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the third branch of the Urmia Islamic Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Najafzadeh, allegedly charged five Urmia residents—Nasim Namazi, Wafa Hanareh, Aram Omari Bardiani, Rahman Parhazo, and Mansour Rasouli—with "participation in intelligence cooperation and espionage for the benefit of Israel" in March 2023 and sentenced them to death.
In addition, this court gave ten-year prison terms to each of five other Urmia prisoners, Kamran Hanareh, Fakhreddin Dudkanloi Milan, Ashkan Osmannejad Ganduk, Hassan Omarpour, and Amir Mushtaq Gangchin, on the same charges.
Among the five people who have been given the death penalty, Mansour Rasouli is the best known. Photos and recordings of his "interrogation" by "groups attributed to Israel" were previously made public.
During the years 2021 and 2022, the Intelligence Department's forces abducted these ten Urmia-based inmates. Each of these citizens endured bodily torture for several months while being held in a solitary confinement unit at the detention facility run by the intelligence department in Urmia.
Recently, Aram Omari, Rahman Parhazo, Amir Mushtaq Gangchin, Fakhreddin Dudkanloi Milan, and Ashkan Osmannejad went on a hunger strike for several days in protest against the death sentence and imprisonment against them and were subsequently transferred to solitary confinement.
These five prisoners temporarily stopped their hunger strike yesterday after meeting their families in person and were returned to the political prisoners' ward.
Nasim Namazi was one of the prisoners who was transferred to solitary confinement at the same time as Muhyaddin Ebrahimi, a political prisoner executed in Urmia prison, and the possibility of executing her sentence is still serious.
23 March 2023 :
(March 22, 2023) - Happy Nowruz 1402 to the political prisoners and detainees of nationwide protests.
On the first day of the Iranian year 1402, we congratulate all the political prisoners. Especially the oldest political prisoners in Iran and the detainees of the nationwide uprising.
Male and female political prisoners who have been imprisoned in Iran’s prisons for many years and their resistance and stability are a beacon for the youth of this country in the tense and turbulent days of nationwide uprisings and protests.
Congratulations and greetings for the new year and the new spring to the oldest political prisoners, including Ayub Porkar, Gholamhossein Kalbi, in Shiban prison of Ahvaz, Maryam Akbari Monfered in Semnan prison, Zainab Jalalian in Khoi prison, Saeed Masouri, Hassan Sadeghi and Abolqasem Foladvand in Gohardasht prison, Mohammad Najafi, a lawyer in the central prison of Arak and all the detainees of the national uprising in all cities of Iran.
https://en.iranhrs.org/nowruz-1402-greetings-to-political-prisoners-on-the-first-day-of-the-year/
21 March 2023 :
(March, 18, 2023) - 2 unidentified men sentenced to death in terrorist attack.
An Iranian court on Saturday sentenced the 2 main perpetrators of a brutal terrorist attack in October 2022 on the Shah-e Cheragh shrine in Iran’s southern city of Shiraz to capital punishment.
Judiciary Chief of Fars Province Kazem Moussavi said on Saturday that the 2 main culprits of the terrorist attack were convicted of assisting in corruption on earth, armed rebellion and acting against national security.
He said the pair were directly involved in the arming, procurement, logistics and guidance of the main perpetrator of the terrorist attack on the Shah-e Cheragh, Press TV reported.
The Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack.
On October 26, 2022, an armed terrorist barged inside the revered holy shrine in Shiraz, killing 15 pilgrims, including women and children, and injuring dozens before he was arrested by security forces.
The terrorist was later pronounced dead at a hospital, succumbing to injuries sustained during the attack that sent shockwaves across the country.
A few suspects were immediately nabbed and some two weeks later the Intelligence Ministry announced the arrest of 26 Takfiri terrorists for involvement in the attack. The statement said the men were nationals of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, and none of them are Iranians.
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2023/03/19/2869643/shiraz-terror-attack-perpetrators-sentenced-to-death
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/18032023
14 March 2023 :
(March 13, 2023) - Iran announced that over 82,000 people have been granted amnesty, including nearly 23,000 arrested during the Zhina (Mahsa) Amini protests.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in February approved pardoning and commuting the sentences of “tens of thousands” of prisoners, in celebration of the 44th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran. Monday’s figures refer to the cumulative number of people that have been included in the amnesty since.
Iran’s judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei said that a total of 82,656 people have been pardoned including 22,628 detained during the Amini protests, which he referred to as “riots”, adding that some of those included in the amnesty were convicted, while some others were in the process of going through the court but received pardons.
The sentences of an additional 34,000 people have been commuted, according to Ejei.
Iran often issues pardons to prisoners around the time of national and religious holidays, in accordance with Article 110 of Iran’s constitution.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its paramilitary, Basij, led a violent crackdown on nationwide protests sparked by the death of Amini while in the custody of the morality police last September. At least 530 protesters were killed during the demonstrations, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/13032023
12 March 2023 :
(March 12, 2023) - Supreme court has upheld the death sentence of Habib Farajollah Chaab, a Swedish Iranian dual national convicted of leading an Arab separatist group accused of attacks including one on a military parade in 2018 that killed 25 people, state media reported on Sunday.
Iran said in 2020 that its security forces arrested Sweden-based Habib Farajollah Chaab (also Habib Alaswad) in Turkiye and took him to Tehran, without saying where or how he was captured.
“Chaab was sentenced to death after several court sessions with the presence of his lawyer ... The Supreme Court confirmed his death sentence,” Iran’s judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported.
In 2022, Iran started trial of Chaab on charges of leading the separatist Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz, which seeks a separate state in the oil-rich Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran, and plotting and carrying out “numerous bombings and terrorist operations.”
He was sentenced to death for being “corrupt on earth,” Iranian state media said.
The Islamic Republic has had tense relations with its ethnic minorities, which include Arabs, Kurds, Azeris and Baluch, and has accused them of aligning with neighboring countries rather than Tehran.
The confirmation of Chaab’s death sentence comes amid soured relations between Iran and Sweden over a Swedish court’s life time in prison sentence for Hamid Noury, a former Iranian official for involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988 in the Islamic Republic.
Iran has rejected former Iranian official Hamid Noury’s sentence as “baseless, distorted and fabricated.”
For the Chaab’s case see also HoC November 1, 2020, December 12, 2020, December 2, 2021 and February 20, 2023.
For the Noury’s case see also HoC 14/11/2021, 10/01/2022, 10/03/2022, 02/05/2022, 04/05/2022, 09/05/2022, 24/05/2022, 02/07/2022, 14/07/2022 and 15/07/2022.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2267021/middle-east
14 March 2023 :
(March 12, 2023) - Iran claims over 100 individuals arrested for school gas attacks
Iran's interior ministry on Saturday evening announced that over 100 people had been arrested for gas attacks on mostly girls' schools across the country which left thousands of girls affected with several hundred hospitalized.
The statement referred to some of the individuals arrested as “criminals” and said that authorities are attempting to establish a link between the detainees and foreign-based “terrorist” groups - a charge punishable by death.
Authorities for more than 3 months have failed to arrest a single culprit behind the attacks, which started in the central city of Qom, except for a journalist from the city who investigated the attacks before Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for decisive action.
The interior ministry said that over 100 individuals were arrested in around 11 provinces and added that some were being “naughty” but others were “criminals” who wanted to create negative publicity for the Islamic Republic.
“Amongst those detained, there are individuals with hostile intentions and in order to create terror amongst the people and pupils and to close the schools and create a negative view of the state,” the statement said. “Investigations are ongoing with these criminal individuals to establish if they have a possible link with the terrorist group of Hypocrites,” a euphemism for the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), a militant opposition group based in Albania.
Speeches by Khamenei on matters of national intelligence are perceived as an indication of a call to action by the state as well as security and intelligence agencies. Shortly after the speech, the head of the judiciary Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei said those behind the attacks are “corrupt on earth,” a charge that could carry the death penalty.
Less than 24 hours after the speech by Khamenei, the Tehran prosecutor repeated the signals mentioned by Khamenei and said investigations have been opened against actors, politicians, professors and at least 3 media outlets.
On Friday, state media published a report in which a pupil and her father appear to have confessed to the gassing of a number of schools in Fars province.
Confessions under duress are a familiar scene on Iranian TV, and given the importance of the issue to the Supreme Leader, more people are expected to be paraded by the intelligence agencies in Iran on TV in the coming days.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/12032023
08 March 2023 :
March 6, 2023
IRAN
Iran Condemns To Death 6 Men Over Attacks In Southwest
Iran has sentenced to death 6 men over attacks carried out by an ethnic Arab "terrorist group" active in a province bordering Iraq, the judiciary said Monday.
A court "has sentenced 6 members of the Harakat al-Nidal terrorist group to death" in Ahvaz, capital of southwestern Khuzestan province, said the judiciary's Mizan Online website.
They were found guilty of "armed operations" between 2017 and 2019 that killed four people, including a soldier and two members of the Basij paramilitary force, the report said.
The 6 now on death row were named as Ali Mojadam, Mohammad Reza Moghadam, Moein Khanfari, Habib Deris, Adnan Ghobishavi and Salem Mousavi.
Mizan Online said they had "carried out the orders of their European leaders such as Habib Nabgan and Habibullah (Habib) Chaab".
Chaab is an Iranian-Swedish dissident who vanished in Turkey during a 2020 visit and who is now on trial in Iran, which does not recognise dual nationality.
Iran has also accused Harakat al-Nidal of "cooperation with other terrorist groups" in a 2018 attack on a military parade in Ahvaz that authorities said killed 25 and wounded almost 250.
According to Hengaw, these political prisoners, who were arrested in the winter of 2017, have been subjected to severe physical and mental torture to obtain a forced confession.
https://www.barrons.com/news/iran-condemns-to-death-six-men-over-attacks-in-southwest-7842150b
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/03/six-arab-political-prisoners-were-sentenced-to-death
Six political prisoners sentenced to death in Khuzestan province - Iran HRS
09 March 2023 :
(March 6, 2023) - Iran supreme leader orders punishment for schoolgirl poisoning
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has called for the perpetrators of schoolgirl poisonings to be punished as attacks spread across the country.
Speaking on the sidelines of an annual tree-planting ceremony on Monday, Khamenei said the poisonings are a “major and unforgivable crime” and the perpetrators must face the “harshest punishment” for incidents that have spread fear among parents and throughout Iranian society.
“If there are people who have a hand in this – and there are those that undoubtedly do in some way – then responsible organisations, including intelligence and law enforcement, need to find the origin of this crime,” he said.
Khamenei offered no clue as to who or what groups may be behind the poisonings.
Shortly after Khamenei’s comments, Iran’s judiciary chief promised the courts will act swiftly and suggested those responsible would face the death penalty.
“Based on the definition that the law has, the perpetrators are undoubtedly guilty of ‘corruption on earth’,” said Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, referencing a formal charge the Iranian judiciary uses that carries a death sentence.
The first case of schoolgirls showing poisoning symptoms occurred in the religiously significant city of Qom in late November with dozens of girls taken to the hospital. Many similar cases continued to take place in primary and secondary schools there before spreading to the capital Tehran and at least two other cities at the start of March.
The attacks increased over the past week across Iran after the issue received increasing media attention inside and outside Iran, and a health official said the poisonings were deliberate attempts at keeping girls from going to school.
Authorities have not provided any figures, but numerous incidents likely affecting several thousand students have been reported.
The incidents bear the same hallmarks, mostly affecting schoolgirls who experience symptoms including shortness of breath, headaches, nausea, heart palpitations, and numbness of the limbs. Some victims reported smelling strange odours such as rotten fruit, strong perfumes or a burning smell. Most cases have not been severe, but many students have had to be hospitalised.
The interior ministry said in a statement last week it found “suspicious samples” at the schools and investigation results will be announced at a later date.
The driver of a truck carrying chemicals that was seen near several affected schools has been arrested, state television said last week. But no other arrests have been confirmed and authorities have not provided a definitive explanation of the poisonings.
Local media reported on Sunday that Ali Pourtabatabaei, a journalist covering news in Qom who was following up on the attacks, has been arrested. Authorities have not commented on his arrest.
Khamenei’s comments could potentially put an end to a wide variety of reasons provided by some officials, lawmakers and media outlets for the poisonings, including speculation of “mass hysteria”.
The supreme leader, however, did not discuss whether the poisonings originated from inside or outside the country – something senior officials have commented on.
President Ebrahim Raisi has blamed a “conspiracy” by the foreign enemies of the Islamic Republic.
He has not named any countries, but Iran has regularly accused Western powers and Israel of being behind unrest within its borders, including months of protests that spread across Iran last September after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody.
05 March 2023 :
(March 3, 2023) - Belgium’s Top Court Issues Decree To Swap Iranian Diplomat
Belgium's Constitutional Court has rejected a request to annul a prisoner exchange treaty with the Islamic Republic that can lead to the release of an Iranian diplomat.
The constitutional court said in a press release Friday that "The Court rejects the action for annulment," a decree that could lead to Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi, convicted of terrorism, being swapped for Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele, held hostage in Iran.
“The Court rejects the appeal against the law assenting to the Belgian-Iranian treaty, but the victims of a convicted person must be informed of his transfer so as to be able to submit this for the review of the legality by a judge,” read the statement.
The court added that “This balancing act must be made in a concrete case and on a case-by-case basis, and must be open for judicial review. It is up to the competent judge (in principle the Court of first instance), with respect for the separation of powers, to review the legality of the decision of the Government authorizing the transfer of a person detained in Belgium towards a foreign State of which it is a national.”
The temporary ban on the extradition of the convicted diplomat was announced by the Brussels Court of Appeal late in July following numerous complaints after the Belgian Parliament ratified a controversial prisoner swap treaty with Iran on July 20. The Iranian exiled opposition group Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK) mounted a fierce campaign against the deal, challenging the possible extradition. "The court has now declared the plaintiffs' question unfounded," said lawyer Khloë Georgiev, who represents Vandecasteele. In June, Belgian MPs ratified a deal to allow the exchange. At the time, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo argued that it was the only way to get Vandeesteele back home safely.
The Islamic Republic’s judiciary sentenced Vandecasteele, who was detained in 2022, to 40 years in prison and 74 lashes for alleged “spying and cooperation with the United States, money laundering and smuggling $500,000 out of Iran.” Vandecasteele, 41, has served in various international humanitarian organizations since at least 2006, including, Médecins du Monde, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), and Relief International. He worked in Iran for humanitarian organizations for more than six years and left the country. Later, he was lured back by “a girlfriend” and was detained in February 2022. A spokesman for Vandecasteele’s family said in December that he should serve up to 28 years in prison.
In a statement released late in February, Amnesty International said Iranian authorities are subjecting Vandecasteele to enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment, urging all states whose nationals are or have been detained at any point in Iran to promptly examine whether the deprivation of liberty amounts to an act of hostage-taking, and if so, take all appropriate measures to ensure accountability. Currently, at least 16 foreign citizens, most of whom dual nationals, are detained in the prisons of the Islamic Republic.
Assadi, 50, a former attaché at the Iranian embassy in Austria, was convicted of plotting to bomb a gathering of the MEK near Paris on June 30, 2018. The only Iranian diplomat ever brought to trial in Europe for direct involvement in terrorism was arrested in Germany, where he did not enjoy diplomatic immunity, while he was on holiday. German authorities later extradited Assadi to Belgium.
Some Belgian lawmakers voiced concern that the prisoner exchange treaty might lead to "hostage diplomacy" and put other Belgians at risk of detention.
On Monday, February 27, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib held a meeting with the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian hours before tens of participants at the UN Human Rights Council walked out when Akir-Abdollahian spoke at the 52nd session of the body at UHRC’s headquarters in Geneva.
The meeting between the Belgian and Iranian ministers drew heavy criticism by many activists and officials, including Belgian lawmaker Darya Safai, who pointed out that “The Belgian government goes along with hostage diplomacy.” Lahbib herself tweeted about the release of Vandecasteele, who was probably the main reason for the meeting.
On the Assadi case see also HoC 3, 12 and 28 February 2021, 15 April 2021, 10 and 14 May 2022, 02, 05, 22 July 2022.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202303034530
02 March 2023 :
(March 1, 2023) - In the first two months of 2023, at least 102 prisoners have been executed in Iranian prisons, of whom 33% of the total executions that have been carried out in Iran during this period were Kurds. Also, five political prisoners were executed.
Based on the statistics registered in the Statistics and Documents Center of the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, of the total of 102 prisoners who were executed in Iranian prisons, Hengaw could verify the identities of 90 of them. Hengaw will continue its investigation to confirm the identities of the other 12.
According to this report, the Kurds have the highest number of executed prisoners with 33 cases, followed by Baluchs with 15 cases.
Out of 102 executed prisoners, five political prisoners were hanged by Iranian authorities: two Kurdish prisoners, one Arab, one Gilak, and one Iranian-British citizen.
The prisons in the province of Alborz had the highest number of executions, at 27. The prisons in the West Azerbaijan province had nine execution cases, Kerman had seven cases, and Kermanshan had six cases.
Separation by charge:
Political prisoners: 5 cases
Drug-related crimes: 61 cases
Murder: 34 cases
Hold-up: 3 cases
26 February 2023 :
(February 23, 2023) - EU condemns Iran over death penalty for Jamshid Sharmahd.
The European Union on February 23 condemned a death penalty imposed by an Iranian court on a Iranian-German dual national and expressed concern about the increasing number of EU citizens in Iran’s jails.
Tehran’s Revolutionary Court convicted Jamshid Sharmahd, 67, on Tuesday on charges of playing a role in a deadly 2008 mosque bombing.
His family says he was kidnapped by the Iranian security services and then taken to Iran for a show trial.
“The European Union condemns in the strongest terms the unacceptable sentencing to death of Jamshid Sharmahd,” the European Union said in a statement supporting a stance taken by EU member Germany.
“We are in close touch with the German authorities. We will make every effort to advocate for a judicial review in full respect of due process rights and the right of appeal. Consular access has to be granted.”
The statement said the bloc had a united position on EU citizens detained in Iran and opposed the use of the death penalty anywhere, in any circumstance.
“The increasing number of EU citizens currently detained by Iran on spurious grounds is of great concern,” it said, amid concerns that Iran, under pressure from an internal revolt and international sanctions, is resorting to hostage-taking.
Iran is holding at least 17 Western citizens, most of them dual nationals, including Sharmahd.
Rights groups and supporters say they are part of a policy of hostage-taking by Iran to extract concessions from foreign governments.
23 February 2023 :
(February 22, 2023) - Germany on Wednesday said it was expelling two diplomats from the Iranian embassy in Berlin over the death sentence an Iranian court handed down against an Iranian-German national.
After the death penalty verdict Tuesday against Jamshid Sharmahd, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement Berlin was "declaring two Iranian embassy staff members to be persona non grata" and "ordering them to leave Germany immediately".
Baerbock said she had summoned Iran's charge d'affaires over the case of Sharmahd, who supporters say was abducted abroad and forcibly returned to Iran for a show trial.
"We call on Iran to reverse the death penalty for Jamshid Sharmahd and to make it possible for him to have a fair appeal based on the rule of law," she said.
The Tehran Revolutionary Court convicted Sharmahd, 67, in connection with the deadly bombing of a mosque in 2008, the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported.
Iranian authorities announced in August 2020 that Sharmahd, who is also a German national and a US resident, was arrested in what they described as a "complex operation" without specifying how, where or when he was seized.
His family say that he was abducted by the Iranian security services while in transit in Dubai and then brought under duress to the Islamic republic.
Baerbock had condemned the ruling on Tuesday as "absolutely unacceptable" and promised a "strong reaction" to the decision, resulting in Wednesday's expulsion.
"Not only is the death penalty cruel, inhuman and degrading, but Jamshid Sharmahd has never had anything approaching a fair trial," Baerbock said.
The German foreign minister has been at the forefront of Western voices condemning Tehran's bloody crackdown on demonstrations and the executions of anti-government protesters. Hands Off Cain yesterday published the news that Minister Baerbock was against the Iranian body of the "Guardians of the Revolution" (IRGC) being included in the list of terrorist groups of the European Community.
Sharmahd is accused by Iran of leading the Tondar group which aims to topple the Islamic republic and is outlawed as a terrorist organisation by Iran.
Mizan said Sharmahd planned to commit 23 "terrorist" acts, of which he succeeded in five, including the bombing of a mosque in the southern city of Shiraz on April 12, 2008, which killed 14 people and wounded 300 others.
Prosecutors had also accused Sharmahd of having established contact with "FBI and CIA officers" and of having "attempted to contact Israeli Mossad agents".
In 2009, Iran convicted and hanged three men for the Shiraz bombing, claiming they had links to the monarchist group and had taken their orders from "an Iranian CIA agent" based in the US in an attempt to assassinate a senior official in Iran.
Sharmahd's family have ridiculed the charges.
"All of the charges are fabricated charges. They are scapegoating my dad who is innocent," his daughter Gazelle told AFP when his trial got underway last year.
The family says Sharmahd, a software designer, became involved with Tondar, also known as Kingdom Assembly of Iran and designed their website.
"They kidnapped Jamshid Sharmahd and now they've sentenced him to death after a sham trial," said the head of the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) group Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam.
"Basically the Islamic republic is threatening to kill a hostage," he added.
21 February 2023 :
(20/02/2023) EU To Include Iranian Judges On Sanctions List
The European Union will impose sanctions against dozens of Iranians, including judges, for their role in imposing death penalties on protesters, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said on February 20.
"Judges, prison workers, people who sentence others to death, dozens of them will get on the list," Asselborn said before a meeting with other foreign ministers from the EU in Brussels.
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/eu-include-iranian-judges-sanctions-list-luxembourgs-asselborn-says-2023-02-20/
https://english.shabtabnews.com/2023/02/20/eu-to-include-iranian-judges-on-sanctions-list/
21 February 2023 :
(20/02/2023) - German Foreign Minister Says No Legal Grounds To Declare Iran's Revolutionary Guards A Terrorist Entity
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has said that German experts have found no legal grounds to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, echoing remarks made last month by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Baerbock told reporters following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on February 20 that "as of now, we don't have legal grounds in the EU to list the Revolutionary Guards as terrorist organization." The European Parliament and others have called on the EU to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity, blaming it for the repression of domestic protests.
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-revolutionary-guards-germany-terrrorist-legal-grounds/32280078.html
21 February 2023 :
(20/02/2023) - Iran To Reward Salman Rushdie Attacker With Farmland
The Islamic Republic says it will grant 1,000 square meters of farmland to the assailant who stabbed Salman Rushdie, the British author of The Satanic Verses.
Mohammad Ismail Zarei, head of the Secretariat to Implement Khomeini's Fatwa on Execution of Salman Rushdie said Monday that “We sincerely thank the young American for his brave action in carrying out the historic fatwa of Imam Khomeini.”
Rushdie was stabbed in the neck and torso on stage at a lecture in New York State by Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old man in August 2022. He lost on eye and movement in his hand after a lengthy medical treatment.
“With this action, he blinded Salman Rushdie in one eye and disabled his arm to make Muslims happy,” he added.
“Although Salman Rushdie is nothing more than a walking dead, in order to honor this brave action, about a thousand square meters of a valuable and fertile agricultural land will be awarded to the stabber or his legal representative in a special ceremony.”
He went on to say that the remaining part of the land will be given to those who kill Salman Rushdie.
Rushdie lived with a bounty on his head since "The Satanic Verses" published in 1988 prompted Khomeini to issue a fatwa urging Muslims to kill him.
Many accused the Islamic Republic of having ties with the attacker, but Iran’s foreign ministry denied any links with the 24-year-old stabber. However, some hardliners and regime insiders expressed gratification after the attack.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202302209466
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/02/21/Iranian-foundation-praises-man-who-attacked-Salman-Rushdie-rewards-him-with-land
23 February 2023 :
(February 20, 2023) - Jamshid Sharmahd sentenced to death
Jamshid Sharmahd, a 67-year-old Iranian-German dissident kidnapped from the UAE by Islamic Republic agents in July 2020, has been sentenced to death for corruption charges without due process or a fair trial.
Mizan New Agency, which is affiliated with the regime judiciary, announced Monday that Sharmahd has been sentenced to death.
Sharmahd, who is also a US resident, is accused by Tehran of heading a pro-monarchist group accused of a deadly 2008 bombing and planning other attacks in the country.
In the bombing on a mosque in Shiraz 14 people were killed and 200 more were wounded, but Sharmahd and his family vehemently deny the accusation.
"His verdict can still be appealed in the supreme court," the agency added.
Sharmahd, the director of Tondar opposition group, has been held in solitary confinement for many days and he was denied an independent attorney and fair legal procedures.
The news of Sharmahd’s kidnapping in Dubai and his transfer to Tehran by Islamic Republic agents was first released in August 2020.
Based in Los Angeles, the little-known Kingdom Assembly of Iran, or Tondar, says it seeks to restore the Iranian monarchy that was overthrown by the 1979 Islamic revolution. It runs pro-Iranian opposition radio and television stations abroad.
The death sentence for Sharmahd comes as Iranian foreign ministry on Tuesday confirmed indirect talks with the United States over prisoner exchange through intermediaries.
The Islamic Republic is holding several Western prisoners in what human rights organizations have dubbed hostage diplomacy.
Strongly condemning the death sentence, Iran Human Rights also criticises the international community’s relative silence on his abduction, torture and trial by the unlawful Revolutionary Court.
Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “Kidnapping and threatening to kill Jamshid Sharmahd based on an unlawful sentence is the Islamic Republic’s attempt to blackmail the European Union with the aim of easing the political pressure. Germany and the European community must react decisively to this terrorist act."
“Any flexibility shown against the Islamic Republic’s terrorism will further endanger the life of Sharmahd and other dual-nationals held hostage by the Islamic Republic,” he added.
Kidnapping dissidents from neighbouring countries is becoming common practice. Iran Human Rights previously warned that “Failure by the international community to respond adequately to these unlawful acts will lead to its normalisation.”
Reiterating that there are no fair trial standards in the Islamic Republic and that the interrogation process is based on torture-tainted confessions, Iran Human Rights calls on the international community to intervene to save Jamshid Sharmahd’s life and prevent further abduction of dissidents.
Jamshid Sharmahd is a German-Iranian dissident activist who was kidnapped on a layover in Dubai when flying to the United States, his country of residence, from India. He last spoke to his wife on 28 July 2020. On 1 August, Minister of Intelligence and Security Mahmoud Alavi announced on state television that Jamshid Sharmahd had been arrested “following a complex operation” and aired a video of him stating his name while blindfolded with a black cloth. Charges related to a 2010 Mosque bombing, for which three men had already been executed, were brought against him.
After being held in pre-trial detention for over a year and a half, his first hearing was held on 6 February 2022. Presided by Judge Salavati, a “hanging judge” on the US sanctions list, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court held multiple hearings on the accusations of “efsad- fil-arz by planning and directing terrorist acts”, including the 2010 bombing. He was sentenced to death today. Jamshid has been held in solitary confinement since his arrest and denied legal representation, due process and the right to a fair trial.
Kidnapping dissidents from neighbouring countries is becoming common practice. Iran Human Rights previously warned that “Failure by the international community to respond adequately to these unlawful acts will lead to its normalisation.”
Arresting political dissidents outside of Iran is not unprecedented. Ruhollah Zam, the director of Amad News Telegram channel, was arrested in Iraq in October 2019 and transported to Iran. He was executed on 12 December 2020. Iranian-Swedish dissident, Habib Chaab was also kidnapped from Turkey in October 2020 and tried for corruption charges. He’s currently awaiting sentencing.
On Sharmahd’s case see also HoC August 4, 2020, November 1, 2020, December 12, 2020, April 27, 2021.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5738/
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202302211532
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-jamshid-sharmahd-death-sentence/32281362.html
21 February 2023 :
(20/02/2023) UK sanctions Iranian judges, commanders and regional governors.
Britain imposed sanctions on three Iranian judges, three members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and two regional governors, an update to a British government website showed on Monday.
20 February 2023 :
(19/02/2023) Two protesters sentenced to death
According to IHRS, on Sunday, February 19, 2023, two Baloch citizens, Mansour Hut (Hoot) and Nizamaldin Hut (Nizamuddin Hoot) were sentenced to death on charges of corruption on earth (Moharebeh) during the protests in Balochistan.
According to Haalvsh website, the 2 young men were arrested in Chabahar by IRGC intelligence on September 30, 2022 and detained in Ward 9 of Zahedan Central Prison
The court session of these two Baloch men was held on Sunday, January 8, 2023, while they were deprived of the right to access a lawyer. They were sentenced to death by the 2nd Criminal Branch of the Musa Nouri Zahedan Court, on charges of "warfare" and "corruption on earth."
According to this report, Mansour and Nizamuddin Hoot were severely tortured during their detention to obtain forced confessions.
Mansoor Hoot, 27, son of Kamal Khan, married, is a poet and writer of Balochistan.
Nizamuddin Hoot, 20, son of Lal Mohammad, unmarried. Both of them are from Chabahar.
https://en.iranhrs.org/two-detainees-of-chabahar-protests-sentenced-to-death/
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2023/02/two-baloch-protesters-were-sentenced-to-death
22 February 2023 :
(18/02/2023) - Terror Threats Force Persian TV Channel To Close London Studios
After a significant escalation in state-backed threats from Iran and advice from the Metropolitan Police, Iran International TV says it has reluctantly closed its London studios and moved broadcasting to Washington DC.
The station will continue to operate from its offices in Washington DC uninterrupted.
Threats had grown to the point that it was felt it was no longer possible to protect the channel’s staff, other employees at Chiswick Business Park and the general public.
Iran International was warned by authorities in November that its journalists were under threat from Iranian agents and the Metropolitan Police took measures to strengthen security around the network’s office in the area.
The channel's broadcasts have gained special significance since popular anti-regime protests broke out in Iran last September. Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened Iran International and other Persian broadcasters based abroad since the start of protests when the government blocked the Internet to deny the population news and information.
Amid repeated threats by the Islamic Republic against Iran International’s reporters, the UK government vowed in December to step up protection of London-based Iranian journalists.
British Foreign Minister James Cleverly said during a session in Parliament on December 13 that the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), in partnership with the Home Office, had ensured that the Iranian journalists were protected by the British police.
“The UK remains absolutely determined to ensure that Iran does not intimidate people within this country. We will always stand up to the aggression from foreign nations,” he noted, adding, “We will absolutely not tolerate threats, particularly towards journalists who are highlighting what is going on in Iran, or indeed any other individual living in the UK.”
A man was arrested in the vicinity of Iran International’s headquarters last Saturday and charged with a terrorism offence. He pleaded not guilty in a court session on Tuesday.
Mahmood Enayat, General Manager of Iran International TV, said after the decision to move broadcasting to Washington:
“I cannot believe it has come to this. A foreign state has caused such a significant threat to the British public on British soil that we have to move. Let’s be clear this is not just a threat to our TV station but the British Public at large. Even more this is an assault on the values of sovereignty, security and free speech that the UK has always held dear.
Day and night our journalists strive to deliver the 85mn people of Iran and its diaspora the independent, uncensored news they deserve.
We refuse to be silenced by these cowardly threats. We will continue to broadcast.
We are undeterred.”
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202302187629
19 February 2023 :
6 Arab Political Prisoners In Iran Handed Capital Punishment on February 14
An Iranian court has sentenced 6 Arab political prisoners held in the southern city of Ahvaz to death, activists said on February 14, amid international condemnation of a bloody crackdown on dissent.
The Ahvaz Human Rights Organization (AHRO) identified the prisoners as Ali Majdam, Moein Khanfari, Mohammadreza Moghadam, Seyed Salem Mousavi, Seyed Adnan Mousavi and Habib Darees.
Six other political prisoners held in Ahvaz’s Shiban prison have received heavy prison sentences ranging from 5 to 35 years, it said.
These convicts includeed Fares Amouri, Jasem Al-Boghbish, Qasem Moghadam, Eskandar Moghadam, Ra’ad Maniat and Towfiq Maniat.
All the verdicts were handed down by Branch 4 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court on February 14. It was not immediately clear what charges the defendants were convicted of.
Officials did not comment on the sentencings, which come as the Iranian authorities are trying to whitewash the illegal arrest and prosecution of thousands of protesters with a mass "amnesty."
The authorities have cracked down on five months of protests triggered by the September death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of morality police.
Activists say security forces have killed more than 520 people and detained over 19,000 in connection with the demonstrations. Following unlawful detentions and biased trials, the judiciary has handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.
14 February 2023 :
13/02/2023 - Mohammad Rasulof released
Iranian authorities have released award-winning filmmaker Mohammad Rasulof after he spent more than six months in prison.
Security forces arrested Rasulof in July last year after he criticized the government’s crackdown on protests over a deadly building collapse in the southwestern city of Abadan.
There has been no official comment on the terms of the filmmaker’s release, but Shargh newspaper reported that he had been furloughed.
Rasulof’s imprisonment was tied to a one-year prison sentence he had previously received.
In February 2020, Rasulof won the top prize at the Berlin International Film Festival for his film “There Is No Evil,” but he was unable to accept the prize in person because he was barred from leaving Iran.
Earlier this month, Iran released acclaimed film director Jafar Panahi, who was arrested in July after he protested the detention of Rasulof and another filmmaker, Mostafa al-Ahmad.
Two months after Rasulof’s arrest, the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of morality police triggered nationwide protests demanding more freedoms and women’s rights.
More than 520 people have been killed and over 19,000 detained in a brutal crackdown by the authorities, according to activists. The judiciary has handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.
Many Iranian celebrities have been summoned or arrested by the authorities over the past five months for voicing support for the demonstrators. On the Rasulof case see also HoC 12/07/2022 and 19/07/2022.
https://english.shabtabnews.com/2023/02/13/prominent-iranian-filmmaker-rasulof-released-from-prison/
17 February 2023 :
Farhad Meysami Released From Prison on February 10
Iranian Activist on Hunger-Strike
An Iranian civil rights activist who launched a hunger strike four months ago has been released from prison, local media reported on February 10.
The terms of Farhad Meysami’s release were not immediately clear.
Meysami, a researcher and activist, had been in prison since August 2018. He was sentenced to six years for supporting women protesting the strict dress code that forces them to cover their hair and bodies in public.
His release comes days after pictures emerged on social media showing him emaciated, with his ribs protruding. The shocking photos triggered outrage and warnings that Meysami risks death.
But Meysami vowed to continue his hunger strike until his demands are met, including an end to the execution of protesters, the release of six political prisoners and a halt to the harassment of women over the compulsory headscarf.
Before his arrest, the activist participated in rallies in support of prisoners’ rights and in protest at the Islamic Republic’s rules on mandatory hijab.
He was charged with “spreading propaganda" against the Islamic Republic, “gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security,” and "insulting the sacred things."
On Meysami’s case see also HoC February 2, 2023.
https://iranwire.com/en/news/113670-iranian-hunger-striking-activist-meysami-released-from-prison/
08 February 2023 :
February 5, 2023 - Iran issues conditional amnesty, reduction in sentences for thousands of convicts
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday approved pardoning and commuting the sentences of “tens of thousands” of prisoners, with the country’s judiciary saying the amnesty will only be extended to detained protesters who have signed a written pledge of remorse.
Iran often issues pardons to prisoners around the time of national and religious holidays, in accordance with Article 110 of Iran’s constitution. The recent decision comes in celebration of the 44th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran.
The exact number of those included in the amnesty has not been announced, with an official statement saying it applies to “tens of thousands.” The amnesty will not include those accused of or charged with committing “espionage” for foreign powers or having direct contact with foreign intelligence services, intentional murder or injury, and destruction and arson of government facilities.
In addition, protesters detained during the latest protests are not included given that according to Khamenei, they have no shown remorse for their actions.
It is unclear how many of those arrested in the recent protests will be included in the pardoning, but Sadegh Rahimi, judicial deputy of the Iranian judiciary, said that only the protesters who are “disgusted with their past actions and pledge not to repeat them” will benefit from the amnesty.
Khamenei approved of a pardon or reduction in sentence for 2,272 prisoners in July in celebration of Eid al-Ghadir.
Iran has been subjected to heavy criticism from the international community and rights groups for human rights violations and abuses in prisons, raising concerns about poor conditions, abuse of prisoners, and use of torture in the country’s penal system.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its paramilitary, Basij, led a violent crackdown on nationwide protests sparked by the death of young Kurdish woman Zhina (Mahsa) Amini while in the custody of the morality police last September.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/05022023
08 February 2023 :
February 6, 2023 - Benjamin Briere, a French national held in Iran, has gone on hunger strike for the second time since his incarceration in May 2020, his sister and his lawyer said on February 6. Briere, who was sentenced to eight years in jail for espionage, is one of seven French and more than two dozen foreign nationals who campaigners say Iran has jailed in a strategy of hostage-taking to extract concessions from the West. A hunger strike is the “only weapon he has,” his sister, Blandine Briere, said in a statement. He stopped eating on January 28, she said.
https://english.shabtabnews.com/2023/02/07/frenchman-held-in-iran-reportedly-starts-new-hunger-strike/
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-french-national-hunger-strike-briere/32258644.html
07 February 2023 :
February 4, 2023 - Announcing names and details of 632 martyrs of freedom movement, including 129 Baloch compatriots who martyred by security agents. These names collected and published on the Persian website of the Iranian Human Rights Society. This collection will be updated soon.
On Saturday, February 4, 2023, the Iranian Human Rights Society published names and details of 632 martyrs of freedom in Iran’s nationwide protests. number of martyrs of freedom in these protests is much more than this figure, which is under investigation and will be updated soon.
Among these names, 129 names are related to Baloch compatriots who were killed on two bloody Fridays, September 30 and October 7, 2022, in Zahedan and other cities of Balochistan.
Names of 77 women who lost their lives for freedom is among the martyrs of freedom. Some of these women are mothers and have children and some of them are under 18 years of age.
At least 68 children under the age of 18 killed by repressive agents
Iran’s human rights society requests all families and youths. Send us names, characteristics, manner of martyrdom and pictures of freedom martyrs. That not identified and not published anywhere to inform the public opinion and register and file a lawsuit.
The Iranian human rights community sincerely appreciates all the families and young people who bravely brought this news to us with high risk tolerance. And this is a great service to the litigation movement.
08 February 2023 :
February 3, 2023 - Islamic Republic Systematically Targeted Protester Eyes in Nationwide Protest
Exposing the magnitude of the crimes, and documenting the evidence are crucial steps toward justice that requires all citizens' cooperation
Considering the volume of reports of protesters being shot in the head and face by security forces in most Iranian cities, leading to many, including a significant number of young women, being blinded, Iran Human Rights considers the inhumane and unlawful act to have been carried out systematically to crush protests by the Islamic Republic.
Iran Human Rights calls on citizens in Iran to send any information about anyone who has lost their sight at the hands of security forces to assist in documenting the evidence and holding the perpetrators accountable.
Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “Exposing the magnitude of the crimes, and documenting the evidence are crucial steps toward justice that requires all citizens' cooperation. Islamic Republic leader, Ali Khamenei and the repressive forces under his command must know that they will be held accountable for all their crimes.”
In the past months, Iran Human Rights researchers have collected and verified information related to a number of citizens who have lost their sight in one or both eyes as a result of being shot with shotguns or paintball guns in the nationwide protests. The following list is of cases Iran Human Rights have been able to independently verify; the real number is much higher.
The New York Times previously reported that hundreds of protesters were targeted from close range, with their eyes damaged or blinded. According to this report, doctors in three Tehran hospitals (Farabi, Rasoul Akram and Labafinejad) treated more than 500 protesters with eye injuries during the nationwide protests. In Kurdistan province, at least 80 people with eye injuries were treated by doctors. Meanwhile, police chief Hassan Karami denied protesters were targeted in sensitive parts of their bodies, calling their actions “professional.”
The following list compiled by Iran Human Rights will be expanded with the help of citizen journalists and made available to international organisations and the UN fact-finding mission. Photographs of this list are at:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CocHkpwKUwd/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Raheleh Amiri, Kerman
A 30-year-old psychologist, Raheleh was shot with pellet bullets by security forces in late November; she was blinded in one eye.
Elaheh Tavakolian, Mashhad
A PhD student in business management, Elaheh was blinded in one eye by pellet bullets fired by security forces in October.
Niloufar Aghayi, Tehran
Teacher and midwifery Master’s student blinded in one eye after being shot at the doctors’ protest outside the Medical Council in Tehran.
Kimia Zand, Tehran
Shot in the eye by paintball guns on October 26, her right eye was seriously injured. She has regained some sight after several operations.
Mohadeseh (Ghazal) Ranjkesh, Bandar Abbas
21-year-old law student, she was shot with pellet bullets, losing sight in one eye.
Farideh Salavatipour, Sanandaj
Shot with pellet bullets on November 17, she was blinded in one eye.
Yasser Alvandiani, Hamedan
A 34-year-old athlete, he was blinded after being shot at protests.
Ali Mohammadi, Hamedan
At 22 years old, he was blinded in one eye after being shot at protest on September 21.
Kowsar Eftekhari, Tehran
A Tabriz native, she was shot at a student protest in Tehran on October 12, blinding her in one eye.
Hossein Abedini, Tehran
A 20-year-old model, he was shot at a protest in Tehran on September 21. He was blinded in one eye and sustained injuries in the other.
Behzad Hamrahi, Tehran
43-year-old Hossein was blinded in the left eye after being shot at protest on November 15.
Hossein Hosseinpour, Mahabad
At 25, he was blinded in the left eye after being shot at a protest on November 17.
Kowsar (Mahbanu) Khoshnoudikia, Kermanshah
An archery champion and silver medal winner at the 2021 Asian Archery Championship Games, she was shot and blinded in one eye on December 9.
Parviz Yari, Kermanshah
He was blinded in one eye after being shot at the Dareh Vijeh protest.
Hossein Nouri, Tehran
A 25-year-old nurse, he was blinded in one eye after being shot at a protest on Valiasr Street in Tehran in September.
Sadegh Soufi, Bukan
A 27-year-old physical education post-graduate student, he was blinded in the left eye at the 40th day ceremony of Mahsa (JIna) Amini on November 25.
Hossein Bagherpour, Kerman
24-year-old mechanic, Hossein was blinded in one eye at a protest on Valafajr Street on November 15.
Nachirvan Maroufi, Saqqez
An 18-year-old conscript, Nachirvan was on leave when he was shot at a protest in Saqqez in September.
Bonita Kiani Falavarjani, Isfahan
At 6 years old, Bonita was shot and blinded in one eye while standing on her grandfather’s balcony in Malek Shahr in Isfahan.
Firouz Mirani, Paveh
An artist, Firouz was blinded in both eyes after being shot by pellet bullets on November 30.
Parsa Ghobadi, Kamyaran
18 years old and from the village of Shahini, he was blinded in both eyes after being shot by pellet bullets on November 21.
Ali Mohammad Rezaei, Abdanan
He was blinded in one eye after being shot by pellet bullets outside his house on November 18.
Iran Human Rights | Article: Islamic Republic Systematically Targeted Protester Eyes in Nationwide Protest | (iranhr.net)
https://en.iranhrs.org/those-who-gave-their-eyes-in-the-way-of-irans-freedom-we-were-dead-and-now-we-are-flourishing-again/
07 February 2023 :
February 3, 2023 - Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi released on bail
The award-winning director had gone on hunger strike to protest against his detention, causing a wave of concern.
Yusef Moulai, Panahi’s lawyer, confirmed he had been released on bail and returned home. He said Panahi was in good health after two days without food, the Associated Press news agency reported.
Panahi’s wife Tahereh Saidi posted an image on Instagram of Panahi being driven from prison in a vehicle.
News on Thursday that Panahi, 62, had gone on a hunger strike in which he was refusing food and water caused a wave of concern across the world about the director, who has won prizes at all of Europe’s top three film festivals.
The director was detained in July in the wake of the government crackdown on dissent. He was arrested after he inquired about another director, Mohammad Rasoulof, who was imprisoned a few days earlier after signing an appeal against police violence.
Rasoulof was released from prison on January 7 after being granted a two-week furlough for health reasons and is believed to still be free.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/3/acclaimed-iranian-filmmaker-jafar-panahi-released-on-bail
03 February 2023 :
February 2, 2023 - Imprisoned film director and screenwriter Jafar Panahi went on a hunger strike in Evin Prison in protest against his prolonged incarceration and judicial official’s refusal to grant him bail.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Jafar Panahi went on a hunger strike in Evin Prison.
His wife, Tahereh Saeedi, mentioned his prolonged incarceration and the judicial official’s refusal of his temporary release as the reason for this hunger strike.
Announcing his hunger strike, Panahi wrote in an open letter: “according to law, once my request for a retrial was accepted and my legal case was delivered to a court branch for review, I should have been released on bail immediately. While we witnessed the execution of the innocent young men of our country within 30 days, by the interference of intelligence agents, delivering my case to a court branch took over 100 days.”
A while ago, the six-year sentence against Panahi was quashed by the Supreme Court o Iran and the case was delivered to Branch 21 of the Tehran Court of Appeals for a retrial.
Panahi was sentenced to six years in prison and banned from filmmaking for 20 years and leaving the country. This verdict was upheld on appeal. On July 11, 2022, Panahi was arrested in front of Evin prison to serve his sentence.
On the judicial vicissitudes of Panhai see also HoC 29/02/2020, 04/03/2020, 12/07/2022 and 19/07/2022
https://www.en-hrana.org/imprisoned-film-director-jafar-panahi-goes-on-hunger-strike/
07 February 2023 :
February 2, 2023 - World Outraged By Shocking Photos Of Hunger-Striking Political Prisoner Farhad Meysami
Social media has exploded with concerns about long-time Iranian political prisoner and physician Farhad Meysami, emaciated over long and repeated hunger strikes.
Iranian rights defender Farhad Meysami has been unjustly imprisoned since 2018. Now he has reportedly lost a concerning amount of weight that could pose a risk to his health. Authorities arrested him for his support of women opposing compulsory hijab.
Many Iranian dissident figures and foreign officials have expressed outrage and concern over his deteriorating health condition. A photo of Meysami along with a letter from Rajaei-Shahr prison in Karaj were published on social media Thursday, showing him in a horrible state after losing weight.
According to his lawyer, the 53-year-old prisoner of conscience, who has been in jail since 2018 for supporting women activists protesting against the mandatory Islamic dress code – or hijab -- began his hunger strike on October 7 to protest recent government killings of demonstrators.
"My client Farhad Meysami’s life is in danger,” tweeted lawyer Mohammad Moghimi. "He went on hunger strike to protest the recent government killings in the streets," he said, adding that Meysami had lost 52 kg. Images of Meysami show him curled up on what looks like a hospital bed, and another standing, his ribs protruding.
In reaction to the photos, Washington's special envoy for Iran Robert Malley tweeted, "Shocking images of Dr. Farhad Meysami, a brave advocate for women's rights who has been on hunger strike in prison.” "Iran's regime has unjustly denied him and thousands of other political prisoners their rights and their freedom. Now it unjustly threatens his life."
German politician Hannah Neumann, who is serving as a Member of the European Parliament, said, “We have to throw a lifeline to people such as Farhad Meysami, not to the IRGC terrorists or the current regime,” referring to the European Union’s decision not to greenlight a recent resolution by the parliament that has called for the designation of the Revolutionary Guard as a terror outfit.
Canada-based activist Hamed Esmaeilion who has so far organized several rounds of worldwide protest rallies against the Islamic Republic, said that Meysami and many others do not belong in prison. He added that the regime is responsible for his life.
Esmaeilion’s wife and daughter were killed in 2020 when Iran’s Revolutionary Guard fired two missiles at a Ukrainian jetliner taking off from Tehran and all 176 people onboard died in the crash.
Women’s rights activists Masih Alinejad highlighted, “To those who think Iran’s uprising is over and Iranians have given up, behold the enormous courage of political prisoner Farhad Meysami. He’s been on a four-month hunger strike against the execution of political prisoners and forced hejab. Iranians knows that history is one our side.”
In his letter from prison, Maysami announced that he plans to make the water he drinks bitter for the next 10 days as a symbolic move against "these times that are more bitter than poison" that the Iranian government has created for "everyone in all aspects".
The political activist also wrote that “I will still insist on my three demands of stopping the execution of protesters, releasing six political-civil prisoners, and stopping forced-hijab harassment.” "I will continue my impossible mission in the hope that it may become possible later on with a collective effort,” he wrote. The title of the political activist's letter is "For the days of suffering and suffering and suffering".
Meysami also went on a hunger strike in May in protest to the possible execution of Ahmadreza Jalali (Djalali), a Swedish-Iranian dual national scientist taken hostage since 2016 who was under the threat of execution last year.
Iran has been rocked by nationwide unrest following the death of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini on September 16 in hijab police custody, posing one of the strongest challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution. Women have played a prominent role in the uprising, many of them waving or burning their headscarves. Rights groups say more than 500 protesters have been killed and nearly 20,000 arrested. At least four people have been hanged, according to the Iranian judiciary.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202302031658
02 February 2023 :
January 31, 2023 - Already 18 Kurds executed since the beginning of the year.
18 Kurdish prisoners were executed in the prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran in January 2023.
Based on the statistics registered in the Statistics and Documents Center of the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, at least 18 Kurdish prisoners were executed during January this year, which is equivalent to one-third of the total execution of Kurdish citizens in 2022. Hengaw previously stated in a report that at least 52 Kurdish citizens were executed in 2022.
In January, 60 prisoners were executed in Iranian prisons, 18 of whom, or 30% of all citizens executed in Iran, were Kurdish prisoners.
It should be mentioned that 12 cases of Kurdish citizens who were executed were executed in prisons outside Kurdistan, including Karaj, Arak, and Bandar Abbas.
Referring to the statistics of the Hengaw Organization, the execution of a Kurdish prisoner has been published in official sources, and the executions of 17 other prisoners have not been announced in governmental and judicial sources.
30 January 2023 :
January 29, 2023. US Indicts Three In Iran-Backed Plot To Kill Masih Alinejad
US prosecutors have charged three alleged members of a criminal organization with ties to Iran’s government with conspiring to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin in New York.
Rafat Amirov, Polad Omarov and Khalid Mehdiyev were charged with murder-for-hire and money laundering for their role in the thwarted Tehran-backed plot, the Department of Justice said in a statement on January 27.
The three detained suspected criminals were said to belong to an “Eastern European criminal organization” called the “Organization.”
“The Organization has ties to Iran and is violent, engaging in murders, kidnappings, assaults, and extortions, and members typically identify themselves with tattoos and other displays of eight-pointed stars,” the statement said.
“A federal court in New York today unsealed murder-for-hire and money laundering charges against three members of an Eastern European criminal organization for plotting the murder of a U.S. citizen who has been targeted by the Government of Iran for speaking out against the regime’s human rights abuses.
According to court documents, Rafat Amirov, aka Farkhaddin Mirzoev, aka Pᴎᴍ, aka Rome, 43, of Iran; Polad Omarov, aka Araz Aliyev, aka Polad Qaqa, aka Haci Qaqa, 38, of the Czech Republic and Slovenia; and Khalid Mehdiyev, 24, of Yonkers, New York, are charged with money laundering and murder-for-hire in a superseding indictment unsealed today in the Southern District of New York. Amirov, who resides in Iran, arrived in the Southern District of New York on Jan. 26, and will be arraigned on charges before Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave today. Mehdiyev was arrested on July 29, 2022, on charges contained in an underlying criminal complaint and will be arraigned on the charges in the superseding indictment before the Honorable Colleen McMahon on Jan. 31, 2023, at 4 p.m. ET. Omarov was arrested in the Czech Republic on Jan. 4, 2023, and the United States will request his extradition on the charges in the superseding indictment.”
The statement did not name the alleged victim, but Mehdiyev was arrested last year for having a rifle outside the Brooklyn home of journalist Masih Alinejad, a U.S.-Iranian outspoken critic of the Islamic Republic.
Alinejad posted a video on Twitter, saying, “I knew that killing, assassinating, hanging, torturing, raping is in the DNA of the Islamic Republic. And that’s why I came to the United States of America: to [exercise] my rights, freedom of expression, to give a voice to the brave people of Iran.”
Damian Williams, the attorney for the Southern District of New York, said it was the second time in the past two years that the US authorities “have disrupted plots originating from within Iran to kidnap or kill this victim for the ‘crime’ of exercising the right to free speech, to independent political thought, and to advocating for the rights of the oppressed and disenfranchised inside Iran.”
Attorney-General Merrick B. Garland said the United States “will not tolerate attempts by a foreign power to threaten, silence, or harm Americans.”
“We will stop at nothing to identify, find, and bring to justice those who endanger the safety of the American people,” he added.
Deputy Attorney-General Lisa O. Monaco said the January 27 indictment “exposes a dangerous menace to national security – a double threat posed by a vicious transnational crime group operating from what it thought was the safe haven of a rogue nation: Iran.”
The statement described Amirov as a leader of the Organization residing in Iran, while Omarov, who also holds a leadership role in the Organization, resides in Eastern Europe. Mehdiyev resides in New York.
Amirov was arrested on January 26 and will have a pretrial hearing in federal court in Manhattan later on January 27. Omarov was arrested in the Czech Republic earlier this month.
Last year, an Iranian intelligence officer and others were charged with attempting to kidnap Alinejad and take her back to Iran. Officials in Iran have denied the charge.
https://english.shabtabnews.com/2023/01/29/us-indicts-three-in-iran-backed-plot-to-kill-masih-alinejad/
https://www.ifmat.org/08/12/man-arrested-near-home-of-iranian-dissident-faces-gun-charge/
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-charges-and-new-arrest-connection-assassination-plot-directed
03 February 2023 :
JANUARY 25, 2023 - Kurdish Pregnant Inmate Faces "Imminent Execution"
Iranian judicial officials have sentenced a pregnant woman in her early-20s to death, and her execution is imminent, IranWire understands.
Shahla Abdi, an ethic Kurd from the northwestern province of West Azerbaijan, was arrested in Urmia in mid-October at the peak of nationwide protests triggered by the September death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police.
Abdi is said to have received capital punishment for setting fire to a portrait of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founding father of the Islamic Republic.
A fellow woman inmate told IranWire that Abdi was held in Urmia Central Prison for about a month. Some prisoners say the young woman was transferred to Tabriz Prison about three weeks ago; according to others, she was taken to the detention center of the Ministry of Intelligence.
"When I saw this woman, she looked very young but weak and abused, and I realized that she was four months pregnant," the inmate said.
Another inmate said that Abdi is 21 or 22 years old.
Abdi was kept in solitary confinement in Urmia Central Prison. At the facility's store, two officers were always accompanying her to make sure that she did not talk to anyone.
"She was in a very shocked state. It was obvious that she hadn’t taken a shower for a long time, and her hair was very messy. She was very scared," another inmate said. She did not know what exactly Shahla was scared of.
This prisoner said that the living conditions in the prison are very difficult.
"A woman was sick for two months, and they didn’t even give her one single pill," she said.
Zahra Nabizadeh was six months pregnant when she was arrested on January 18 in the town of Mahabad, in West Azerbaijan province, according to Hengaw, a Norway-based group that monitors rights violations in Iran's Kurdish regions.
Hengaw said Nabizadeh suffered a miscarriage after security forces kicked her in the stomach during her arrest.
Nabizadeh was handed a death sentence and is now awaiting execution in prison.
At least two other pregnant protesters have been arrested in recent weeks and remain behind bars.
IranWire is a website for Iranian citizen journalists founded by Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian journalist, filmmaker and human rights activist who spent time imprisoned in Tehran’s notorious Evin jail in 2009.
https://iranwire.com/en/prisoners/113036-iranwire-exclusive-kurdish-pregnant-inmate-faces-imminent-execution-in-iran/
https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/iran/2023/01/26/iran-sentences-pregnant-kurdish-woman-to-death/
https://www.hawarnews.com/en/haber/sara-organization-condemns-death-sentence-against-pregnant-kurdish-detainee-in-irans-prisons-h34937.html
27 January 2023 :
Protester Shoaib Mir Baluchzehi Rigi sentenced to death
Shoaib Mir Baluchzehi Rigi is an 18-year-old Baluch citizen from Zahedan. He was arrested during the nationwide protests, on October 5, 2022, and since the Iranian Judiciary sentenced him to Moharebeh (War on God) he is at risk of execution.
Shoaib Mir Baluchzehi Rigi, son of Sharif, was born on February 7, 2004, and is a third-year high school student. He left his home on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, to purchase medicine. He was ill and had gone to the pharmacy to have his doctor’s prescription provided. The pharmacy is located on Madani Street near the Makki Mosque of Zahedan. Intelligence forces who were situated in the area arrested him outside the pharmacy. He was taken to an undisclosed location in a private car.
Eyewitnesses say that officials approached him outside the pharmacy like they have done with others after Zahedan’s Bloody Friday. They stopped and questioned him as they did with everyone else. They checked his cell phone and found a video of the protests and took him to a detention center and charged with “Corruption on Earth.”
Shoaib Mir Baluchzehi Rigi was charged with “Corruption on Earth” for having videos of the protests. They charged him with being a protest leader. He was forced to sign documents under torture that allowed him to be sentenced to Moharebeh. Shoaib’s eyes were covered at all times during interrogations, even when they forced him to sign the papers, he had not been able to read them.
Zahedan’s Shahid Nouri Criminal Court, located on Behdasht Boulevard, held a hearing for Shoaib Mir Baluchzehi Rigi on December 19, 2022, and issued him a death sentence. He was denied the right to an attorney and sat only one trial while blindfolded. According to haalvsh.org, “His family had not been informed of the trial and was not allowed to appoint an attorney to explain the proceedings to them. The court only held one trial and brought Shoaib from prison and sentenced him to death on charges of corruption on earth.”
Shoaib’s death sentence was announced to him in Zahedan Prison and since then his contact with family have been cut off and they do not know of his condition.
Intelligence officials told Shoaib’s mother, “Your child is guilty of a political crime, and you have no right to come here.”
To pressure his family, security forces also contacted Shoaib’s younger brother, who is under 18, and wanted him to come to the Intelligence Office. The court gave Shoaib’s family 20 days to make an appeal.
https://iran-hrm.com/2023/01/25/shoaib-mir-baluchzehi-full-of-passion-for-life-dont-execute-him/
25 January 2023 :
Protester Kambiz Kharoot, 20, sentenced to death
Kharoot, a 20-year-old Baluch citizen from Jam-e-Jam area of Zahedan, was arrested during nationwide protests on September 31, 2022, by Iran’s Intelligence services and sentenced to death by the Judiciary.
Kambiz Kharoot was born on February 2, 2002. He was arrested in his shop in Karimabad area of Zahedan. All charges against him have been obtained under torture and are not referable.
Kambiz Kharoot was arrested for the first time on September 31, 2022, and released on bail in early November. He was again arrested on November 12, 2022, and has been sentenced to death by Branch 2 of Zahedan’s Shahid Nouri Criminal Court, located on Behdasht Boulevard. He has been charged with “Incitement and chaos, through Moharebeh and Corruption on Earth.” The court sentenced him to death based on allegation that he set fire to a bank. According to civil activists, the banks was set on fire by plainclothes agents and Kambiz Kharoot’s shop was simply next to the bank.
On January 3, 2023, Kambiz Kharoot, son of Mehrollah, was sentenced to death by the criminal court. According to Balochcampaign.us, although Kambiz had firmly rejected all the charges against him in court, the prosecutor of Zahedan, Shamsabadi, had requested the death sentence for him. Thereby, the Judge never took Kambiz’s defense into account.
After the death sentence was announced, the Baluch defendant was given 20 days to make an appeal. Mr. Kharoot was never given the chance to appoint a lawyer and had not been represented properly. The public defender in the case took no legal measures for his client, not in court nor before the trial.
Kharoot was subjected to severe torture at the Intelligence Detention Center. He is currently in Ward 9 of Zahedan Central Prison and is prohibited visitors. Sources familiar with the investigation said that the Baluch youth was severely tortured during interrogations and in detention. According to people close to him, he was no longer able to stand because of electric shocks and beatings. Cable lashes have left his entire back in critical condition.
According to the report, interrogators eventually forced him to sign a paper of the charges and scenarios they had written for him. The court sentenced him to Moharebeh based on the same forced confession obtained under torture.
Anneleen Van Bossuyt, a Belgian Member of the European Parliament, has accepted to be the 20-year-old’s political godmother. She tweets, I’ll be political godmother of Kambiz Khorvat, 20. He was arrested 4 months ago by the IRGC, and was charged with “war with god and corruption on earth” which means as much as the death penalty. Sentenced to death based on confessions by torture and whipping. Be his voice!
Other young Baluchi citizens have been sentenced to death by Iran for participating in protests. Shoaib Mirbaluchzehi Rigi, 18, Mansour Dehmordeh, with physical disabilities, and Ebrahim Narouei, were detained in Zahedan protests.
Since protests began in September 2022, in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, many citizens have been arrested. Including juveniles, who are taken away for no reason and contrary to legal procedures. The fate of many remains unknown. The Revolutionary Guards-IRGC, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, and the State Security Forces’ Headquarters have recently raided various neighborhoods in Zahedan and arrested at least 113 people.
https://iran-hrm.com/2023/01/24/kambiz-kharoot-baluch-youth-sentenced-to-death/
25 January 2023 :
The IRGC’s Possible Terrorist Designation Frightens Iran’s Regime
On Thursday, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for additional pressure on the Iranian regime, including the formal designation of its Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. MEPs voted overwhelmingly in favor of that designation a day earlier, with only nine opposing it, against 598. The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, also voiced explicit support for sanctioning and proscribing the IRGC as a terrorist organization, following multiple appeals from European Union member states such as Germany.
The EU is scheduled to impose a new package of sanctions on Monday, its fourth since nationwide protests against the clerical regime broke out across Iran in mid-September. Tehran has cracked down fiercely on those protests, killing more than 750 individuals, including at least 70 children, according to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran. Western governments have predictably condemned the regime’s human rights abuses but have been avoiding any measures stronger or more confrontational than the usual economic sanctions or vocal condemnations.
The vast majority of protester deaths over the past 4 months can reportedly be attributed to the IRGC and its volunteer militia, the Basij. This is in keeping with reports from prior uprisings, including 1 in November 2019, when approximately 1,500 protesters were killed in mass shooting incidents across the country. That earlier crackdown came about 6 months after the United States added the IRGC to its list of foreign terrorist organizations, prompting new discussions of similar proposals in both the European Union and the United Kingdom.
Yet even three years after the mass killings of November 2019 and 4 months into Iran’s latest anti-government uprising, follow-through on those proposals remains uncertain. The British parliament held a debate on the topic last week, leading to reports of nearly universal support for IRGC terrorist designation. The government then signaled that it was taking the cross-party appeals into consideration, and various reports suggested that designation was forthcoming. But no formal announcement or timetable has yet been announced.
The situation is similar in the EU following the MEPs’ vote. Thursday’s resolution is non-binding, and so it remains to be determined whether the EU’s leadership will actually move to ban the IRGC and its affiliates throughout the Union. Nevertheless, the resolution and underlying political dialogue have been sufficient to terrify the ruling theocracy, which grapples with a domestic crisis.
Much of Thursday’s response came from the general staff of the regime’s armed forces, which coordinates between the army and the IRGC. Its comments consisted of some threats in the event that the EU does follow through on the threat of labeling the IRGC as a terrorist group and banning it accordingly.
According to the general staff, doing so would “affect regional and global security, tranquility and peace, and the European Parliament should be careful about its consequences.” Its statement also seemed to present justification for possible future actions in Europe. These threats, further indicate the necessity to rapidly proscribe the IRGC and increase pressure on the regime.
The regime’s threats have given the EU, its member states, and their allies substantial new justifications for formally recognizing the IRGC as a threat to global security and stability. If, however, the intention was more boastful than threatening, then the statement clearly indicates that Tehran expects the sanctions in question effectively cripple its hardline paramilitary organization.
25 January 2023 :
Protester Ebrahim Narouei sentenced to death
Ebrahim Narouei is a 25-year-old Baluch citizen from Zahedan and was born on July 16, 1988. He was arrested by Iran’s plainclothes forces during nationwide protests on October 3, 2022, in Zahedan and sentenced to death by the Iranian judiciary on the charge of Moharebeh (War on God).
Ebrahim Narouei, son of Gol Khan and a resident of the Old Road area in Zahedan, was arrested in his neighborhood. After a week of brutal torture in the detention center, security forces made him confess to things he had not done. They covered his eyes and forced him to sign documents with his fingerprints. He had not read any of the signed documents. He was charged with Moharebeh by Branch 6 of the Revolutionary Court of Zahedan without an appointed lawyer and sentenced to death.
Ebrahim Narouei is charged with “destroying public property and setting fire to Saderat bank in Rajai region of Zahedan” on September 30, 2022. However, there is no proof of Ebrahim Narouei confirming the accusation. The court charged Mr. Narouei with Moharebeh on false charges all obtained under torture and are of no reference. Mr. Narouei has been in Zahedan Central Prison for more than three months based on the false charges and facing death without any proper court proceedings.
The court’s verdict was announced to Ebrahim Narouei on Friday, December 30, 2022, in Ward 9 of Zahedan Central Prison. The court’s ruling is death, which was communicated to Mr. Narouei in writing and rejected to by the detainee. The Implementations Department of the Revolutionary Court of Zahedan has said that if Ebrahim Narouei sentence is upheld by the Supreme Court, it will be carried out immediately.
Such a sentence was given to Mr. Narouei without the presence of an attorney and none of the legal proceedings occurred in the courtroom. The case is full of fabricated accusations. Prior to this case, protest detainees in Zahedan, 18-year-old Shoaib Mirbaluchzehi Rigi, Mansour Dehmordeh, and Kambiz Kharoot, were sentenced to death.
According to Balochcampaign.us, images and videos taken during nationwide protests on December 2, 2022, show that Iran’s plainclothes officers destroyed public property and set fire to banks and shops.
Iranian authorities want to quell peaceful public protests by arresting mass amount of Baluch youths and children and sentencing them to death through heavy charges. Following nationwide protests in Iran, including cities in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, many citizens as well as children under 18 have been arrested without reason and are deprived of any legal procedures. The fate of the majority remains unknown.
More than hundreds of Baluch citizens in Zahedan and Khash who protested the rape of a little girl, Maho Baluch, by the Chabahar (Chah Bahar) police chief in Zahedan, were killed by live ammunition and more than 400 injured. The day is remembered as the bloody Friday.
Hundreds of Baluch citizens have been arrested since the start of protests. According to Human Rights Organizations and Haalvsh.org, at least 120 detained protesters in Sistan and Baluchestan Province have been recorded from September 30, 2022, to the end of December 2022.
https://iran-hrm.com/2023/01/23/baloch-citizen-ebrahim-narouei-under-the-shadow-of-execution/
23 January 2023 :
Protesters Hasan Firouzi and Mohammad Ekhtiarian Slip Into Coma In Detention
Reports by Iranian human rights activists indicate that a detained protester in Shahr-e Rey south of Tehran has gone into coma due to severe torture.
Activists say Hasan Firouzi fell into coma on Friday because of torture, bleeding and lack of access to treatment.
The-34-year-old man was brutally tortured after being arrested during recent protests, according to human rights organizations, and a revolutionary court sentenced him to death.
Iran Human Rights Monitor, a non-political France-based organization that reveals human rights violations in Iran, announced January 16 that Hasan Firouzi had said his "only wish" was to see his daughter before execution.
The report says Hasan Firouzi suffered severe bleeding after torture and beatings by interrogators with a chair, and while he lost his left kidney, no treatment was provided to him.
Meanwhile, the lawyer of one of the detained protestors in Khorramabad in Western Iran said his client fell into coma due to an infection from injuries he sustained during the arrest.
"My client, Mohammad Ekhtiarian, one of the detainees in recent protests, is in a coma due to the infection of the wounds caused during the arrest," he wrote on his Instagram page.
According to Iran's Prisons Atlas, Mohammad Ekhtiarian is a bodybuilder and during the nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, he was wounded in the leg after being shot by the security forces and then arrested.
Two Iranian Protesters Slip Into Coma In Detention (iranintl.com)
22 January 2023 :
Protester Arshia Takdastan, 18, Sentenced to Death
Arshia Takdastan is an 18-year-old citizen from Nowshahr, north of Iran. Arshia was born on June 13, 2004.
“Arshia was arrested on September 24, 2022, in Nowshahr and transferred to Sari, the provincial capital of Mazandaran Province, the next day. “He was beaten so much in Sari Prison that he did not realize his big toe was broken. He had said that he felt severe pain in his body that he hadn’t noticed it at all.”
An informed source close to the Takdastan family said, “All confessions made during interrogations were obtained through harassment and with pressure.”
“Arshia was held in two-by-two solitary confinement in Sari Prison for 28 days and interrogated for hours. His family was uninformed of him during this time. Arshia was threatened and told that his father would be arrested. They had blindfolded his eyes and put a gun to his head.”
After hasty trial sessions, Arshia Takdastan was sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Sari on charges of Corruption on Earth and Moharebeh. The verdict is preliminary and appealable to the Supreme Court. Arshia Takdastan and Mehdi Mohammadifard have been sentenced to death in a joint case.
https://iran-hrm.com/2023/01/19/arshia-takdastan-sentenced-to-death/
22 January 2023 :
Iran hands death sentence to mentally ill man over alleged Qur’an burning
Iran has sentenced a mentally ill man to death on apostasy charges for allegedly burning a Qur’an during an anti-regime protest, with rights groups warning that the 35-year-old was severely tortured in custody and faced an unfair trial, The Guardian reported on Thursday.
Javad Rouhi, from a village in northern Iran, was sentenced to death on 3 charges: Waging war against God, corruption on Earth and apostasy.
After his arrest, he was transported to a detention facility overseen by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He was left unable to speak and walk after suffering extreme torture while in custody.
His family were only permitted one visit before his court hearing, with his father saying: “They didn’t allow any more visits or phone calls after that.”
Rouhi, who suffers from severe mental illness, was accused of entering a local traffic police headquarters last September, along with two others, and setting the building on fire, including copies of the Qur’an.
Iran state media reported that he had “confessed to the fact that he destroyed the headquarters and set it on fire.”
Rouhi was prevented from hiring a lawyer of his choice, with court authorities requiring him to be represented by a state defender, Habibullah Qazvini.
Qazvini said during the trial: “The review of the CCTV footage and the statements of Javad Rouhi only show his presence at the gathering place, and there is no evidence that he participated in burning and destroying public property.”
He added: “Javad had separated from his wife due to mental illness and unemployment; in September, he had gone to Nowshahr to meet his ex-wife and try to bring her back. He didn’t have any money, so he had slept on the street during those few days in Nowshahr before his arrest.”
In further evidence of an unfair trial, Rouhi’s charges were also connected with the deaths of five protesters who rights groups say were killed by Iranian security officers. On this case see also HoC January 10, 2023.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2235501/middle-east
22 January 2023 :
European Parliament passed a resolution that puts the IRGC on the terrorist list
European Parliament in response to suppression of the nationwide protests of the Iranian people and torture and execution of protesters. With 598 positive votes, approved a resolution regarding the terrorist designation of the IRGC.
Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, said that the execution of protesters demanding freedom in Iran cannot continue. She said: “The Iranian regime should stop suppressing the protesters and cancel the orders issued against them.”
This resolution mentions Mohsen Shekari, Majidreza Rahnavard, Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini. The execution of protesting people has condemned the repression and human rights violations in Iran in the strongest tone. And she demands the member states of the union to strengthen their support for the protesting people of Iran.
The approval of resolution of the European Parliament is a necessary step in dealing with the biggest organization of repression and terrorism in the world, that is, the Revolutionary Guards.
People of Iran, who hate Revolutionary Guards, were very happy about this action of European Parliament. And congratulated each other and celebrated in some cities.
In the clips published on social networks, the people of Mahabad and Saqqez came to the streets and danced and rejoiced because of the European Parliament’s resolution declaring the IRGC as terrorists.
https://en.iranhrs.org/european-parliament-puts-revolutionary-guards-in-the-terrorist-list/
15 January 2023 :
74 women killed during nationwide uprising of Iranian women.
Many people who have been killed due to the great pressure on the families have not been announced at all and the government announces their names under fake and false titles, such as suicide or accidents.
After four months of protests in Iran, the repression and killing of women reached a new peak. And protests of the women of Iran and the world led to the great victory of Iran’s expulsion from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
These women killed during nationwide protests in Iran that started on September 16, 2022, with the murder of Mahsa Amini in Tehran. All these 74 women were killed by repressive government agents. Some of them killed by direct bullets, some by batons or beatings by repressive agents.
Names of 74 women killed during the protests, compiled till now by the Iranian Human Rights Society, are as follows:
1- Mino Majidi, Kermanshah, martyrdom due to shooting by security agents, Martyrdom date, 9.20.2022;
2- Ghazaleh Chalavi, Amol, 33 years old, being shot in forehead by security agents, Martyrdom date 9.21.2022;
3- Hananeh Kia, Nowshahr, 23 years old, as a result of being shot by security agents in Tehran Martyrdom date, 9.21.2022;
4- Hediyeh Na’imani, Nowshahr, 25 years old, martyred in Beheshti hospital due to severity of her injuries due to the shooting of the repressive security agents in Hafez Nowshahr Street. Martyrdom date, 9.23.2022;
5- Hadis Najafi, Karaj, due to shooting by security agents, Martyrdom date, 9.22.2022;
6- Sarina Esmailzadeh, 16 years old, daughter of Aref, Mehrshahr, due to shooting by security agents, Martyrdom date, 9.23.2022;
7- Mahsa Mougouii, 18 years old, daughter of Mohammad Ali, Fouladshahr, shot by security agents with a bullet, date of martyrdom 9.22.2022;
8- Nika Shakarami, 17 years old, Tehran, missed on September 20th in Keshavarz Blvd., and on September 30th, her body found in Kahrizak with her face smashed, her nose crushed, and her jaw broken due to baton blows;
9- Negin Salehi, 26 years old, Jumhori St., Tehran, died from baton blows before reaching the hospital, date of martyrdom 10.08.2022;
10- Asra Panahi, 15 years old, Ardabil, beaten in Shahed High School and then died in the hospital, date of martyrdom: 10.14.2022;
11- Arnika Qaem Maghami, 17 years old, fell into a coma after being hit with a baton in Tehran and died after ten days. Date of martyrdom: 10.22.2022;
12- Negin Abdolmaleki, 21 years old, first seriously injured by a baton on the head and died in the dormitory, date of martyrdom: 10.13.2022;
13- Maedeh Javanfar (nurse), 28-year-old nurse in Rasht, shot by security officers in Rasht, date of martyrdom 10.26.2022;
14- Kobra Shiekh Saqqa, 55 years old, from Di Molla village, resident of Mahabad, shot by security officers, martyred on 10.27.2022;
15- Fereshte Ahmadi, 32 years old, from Sardasht, due to a direct shot in Mahabad, martyrdom date 10.27.2022;
16- Sadaf Movahhedi, 17 years old, suffered a concussion and died after being hit on the head with a baton in Tehran, the date of martyrdom is Monday 10.18.2022;
17- Sarina Saedi, 16 years old, from Sanandaj, died in the hospital after being hit on head with a baton, date of martyrdom 10.26.2022;
18- Aynaz Javaheri, 15 years old, Kermanshah, shot by security agents, date of martyrdom 10.08.2022;
19- Lina Namvar, 21 years old, shot by security officers in Tehran Pars, martyrdom date: 9.24.2022;
20- Marzieh Doshman Ziari, Shiraz, killed by a baton in the head, date of martyrdom 10.25.2022;
21- Parisa Bahmani, general surgeon, from Zanjan, shot by security officers in front of the medical system building, date of martyrdom;
22- Nasim Sedighi, 23 years old, was wounded in head by a bullet and died on October 31 in Urmia. She buried on November 2;
23- Nahid Mostafapour, from Yasouj, arrested in Tehran and his body handed over after 9 days, the burial date October 31;
24- Nadia Arefani, 23 years old, from Fardis Karaj, injured by the security officers on October 8 and died on October 9;
25- Elaha Saeedi, Saqqez, as a result of shooting by security agents, 10.10.2022;
26-Setareh Tajik, 17 years old, citizen of Afghanistan and resident of Tehran, shot by security officers, date of martyrdom 9.22.2022;
27- Parisa Asgari, 20 years old, from Aligudarz, Tehran University student, shot by security officers, 10.14.2022;
28- Shirin Alizadeh, 35 years old, Isfahan, shot by security officers, martyrdom date: 9.22.2022;
29- Diana Mahmoudi, a 7-year-old child from Piranshahr, shot by security officers on 10.29.2022;
30- Farzaneh Kazemi, from Qazvin, due to baton blows to the head, date of martyrdom 10.12.2022;
31- Parastoo Moradkhani, 20 years old, from Karaj, as a result of shot by security agents during Hadise Najafi ceremony in Behesht Sakineh, date of martyrdom was 11.03.2022;
32- Nasrin Ghaderi, from Marivan, fell into a coma due to multiple baton blows to the head and died in a hospital in Tehran, date of martyrdom: 11.05.2022;
33- Mojgan Kadkhodaii, from Balochistan, shot by security agents in Tehran, martyrdom date: 11.05.2022;
34- Somayyeh Mahmoudi Nejad, from Kerman, shot by security agents, date of martyrdom 10.08.2022;
35- Pegah Ghavasieh, from Shiraz, shot by security agents, martyrdom date 11.05.2022;
36- Maria (Mahsa) Ghavasieh, from Shiraz, shot by security agents, date of martyrdom 11.05.2022;
37- Samira Noori, from Tehran, shot by security agents, date of martyrdom 9.24.2022;
38- Parvin Khosh Qaem, from Oshnavieh, shot by security officers, martyred on October 21;
39- Ghazaleh Ghasemi, from Tehran, shot by security agents, martyrdom date 9.28.2022;
40- (Darya (Marzieh) Nazmdeh, 26 years old from Karaj, shot by security officers, date of martyrdom 11.08.2022;
41- Yalda Agha Afzali Irdmosi, 19 years old from Tehran, died suspiciously a few days after her release, date of martyrdom 11.11.2022;
42- Aylar Haghi, from Tabriz, due to thrown from a height, date of martyrdom 11.16.2022;
43- Samaneh Niknam, 36 years old, from Shiraz, shot by security agents, date of martyrdom 11.16.2022 (two eyes evacuated when the body taken over);
44- Hanieh Moradinejad from Yazd, shot by security agents, date of martyrdom 11.18.2022;
45- Hasti Narouii, daughter of Belal, martyred on Friday 9.30.2022 due to the inhalation of toxic tear gas;
46- Mona Naghib, 8 years old, as a result of being shot by repressive agents in Saravan. Date of martyrdom: 10.24.2022;
47- Parmis Hamnava, student, from Iranshahr, beaten in school for tearing Khomeini’s photo, martyrdom date: 10.25.2022;
48- Aram Majd, from Qaimshahr, as a result of shot by security agents, martyrdom date 11.21.2022;
49- Maedeh (Mahak) Hashemi, 16 years old from Kangan, due to batons and shooting by security agents in Shiraz. Date of martyrdom 11.24.2022;
50- Atefeh Na’ami, 37 years old, from Ahvaz, due to beating, date of martyrdom 11.22.2022. (she missing for eight days and her body found at home while beaten);
51- Negin Radfar, 22 years old, from Sanandaj, shot by security officers, martyrdom date 11.19.2022;
52- Sanaz Keshavarz, from Karaj, (flight attendant) shot by security officers, martyrdom date 11.26.2022;
53- Mona Chamani from Rasht, hit on the head with a baton, date of martyrdom 11.29.2022;
54- Zahra Jalilian, from Islamabad West, an elite student at Tehran University Technical Faculty, killed suspiciously on 12.4.2022 (the government announced that she committed suicide!);
55- Frank Jabari, 33 years old, from Tehran, shot by security officers, martyred on December 7;
56- 22-year-old Ghazal Amiri, a 1st semester dental student in Shiraz, killed by security forces. And the family under pressure declared the cause of death to be Corona. The date of martyrdom October 10 (the exact cause of his death not yet announced).;
57- Aida Rostami from Tehran – a public doctor who identified and kidnapped while helping injured in their homes, then she killed under torture on December 12 (her body delivered with half of her face crushed, her hand broken, and her eye evacuated);
58- 22-year-old Donya Farhadi, from Izeh, tortured by security agents, martyred on December 15. (her body found on the shore of the Karun River);
59- 88-year-old Zulikha Terzi, a resident of Zahedan (Afghanistan), martyred on Bloody Friday, September 30 due to tear gas inhalation.;
60- 25-year-old Samira Ebrahimi, a blogger from Kerman and the mother of an 8-month-old baby. She arrested on Sunday, December 11, for writing about the uprising calls. And killed under torture on December 13, and secretly buried.;
61- Neda Bayat from Zanjan under torture by security agents, date of martyrdom 11.26.2022;
62- Roshana Ahmadi, Bukan, as a result of shot by security agents, martyrdom date: 9.21.2022;
63- Maryam Suleimanian, a native of Tehran, thrown from a building, she was a painter and artist. The date of martyrdom is December 2022.;
64- Saha Eatebari, 12 years old, from Bastak, shot on the road, martyred on January 4, 2023;
65- Sepideh (Bigard) Ghalandari, from Mahabad, under torture in Tehran, January 1, 2023;
66- Bahar Khorshidi – 23 years old, from Rabat Karim, thrown from a height. The date of martyrdom September 22, 2022, she chased while installing a tract and thrown from the window.;
67- Narges Khorrami Fard, from Mashhad, lawyer, date of martyrdom: November 2022;
68- Maryam Ismailzadeh, 39 years old, from Tehran, as a result of shot on December 15, 2022.;
69- Sarina Shiri, 19 years old, from Javanrud, as a result of torture, martyred in October 2022. After 10 days, his body handed over to his family.;
70- Behnaz Afshari, student of Sharif University of Technology, from Tehran, due to gunshot, date of martyrdom October 26, 2022;
71- Mahdis Hosseini, 17 years old, from Amol, shot on November 3, 2022;
72- Helen Ahmadi, 7 years old, from Bukan, shot on October 12, 2022, she shot on her way back from school for chanting.;
73- Ashraf Nikbakht, from Izeh, martyred on November 16, 2022;
74- Maryam Ghavasi, from Mashhad, due to gunshots, martyrdom date: October 8, 2022, her body buried in Al-Zahra Golzar Martyrdom.
https://en.iranhrs.org/74-women-killed-during-nationwide-uprising-of-iranian-women/
15 January 2023 :
Iran executions: the role of the ‘revolutionary courts’ in breaching human rights
The Iranian government has attempted to brutally suppress the widespread protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022.
Central to Iran’s response have been the country’s “revolutionary courts”. They have conducted heavily-criticised trials resulting in at least four executions, while over 100 protesters are in considerable danger of imminent execution.
Criminal trials in these courts often occur behind closed doors presided over by clerics, with none of the standard guarantees of criminal procedure such as allowing time and access to lawyers to prepare a defence.
Submissions to the United Nations from Iranian civil society organisations report that lawyers are routinely denied access to clients, and that coerced confessions, often obtained by torture, are used as evidence.
Tara Sepehri Far, senior Iran researcher at Human Rights Watch, describes the trials as “a total travesty of justice”.
Criminal trials that are unfair by international standards have been a feature of the Iranian legal system since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
The courts were established to try opponents of the regime who face ill-defined national security charges that carry the death penalty. Such vague charges include waging war against God (“Moharebeh”), corruption on Earth (“Ifsad fel Arz”), and armed rebellion (“baghi”).
The courts are integral to the consolidation of Islamist power which began within a few months of the revolution. As is apparent from the structure of the Iranian government, the courts complement the role of para-state organs such as the Basij.
The Basij is a paramilitary organisation formed very soon after the revolution. It supports the guidance patrol, known colloquially as the morality police.
The Basij is essential to the Iranian authoritarian state. It sits under the command of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, and is fiercely loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The United States Treasury has imposed sanctions on senior members of the Basij, and on a network of businesses it believes is financing the organisation.
The revolutionary courts’ secret trials, vague charges, denial of lawyers, and evidence obtained by coercion and torture have focused attention on Iran’s flagrant and persistent breaches of its international human rights obligations.
In 1975, Iran ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to life and the right to live free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The United Nations Human Rights Committee has stated the death penalty is not consistent with these guarantees, putting Iran in breach of its international human rights obligations.
The guarantee of a right not to be tortured is repeated in the Convention Against Torture, which Iran has not ratified. It’s the only country in the Middle East to not have done so, and one of only 20 in the world.
In a periodic review of Iran’s human rights compliance, the UN recommended in 2020 that Iran ratify the treaty, end the use of torture, and credibly investigate and prosecute all allegations of torture. Iran rejected these recommendations.
The Center for Human Rights in Iran warns the executions are “a prelude to more state-sponsored murders of young people in the absence of a strong and coordinated international response”.
Hangings such as these have been characterised by opposition parties in exile as desperate efforts to forestall the inevitable overthrow of the regime, and by the US Department of State as efforts to intimidate Iranians and suppress dissent.
Australia’s response to two executions late last year was to condemn the executions, issue a joint statement with Canada and New Zealand, and subject Iran’s morality police and the Basij to international sanctions.
Despite widespread international condemnation, Iran is following through on its pledge to continue to crackdown on the protests.
We can condemn the country’s conduct and enact sanctions, but sadly, Iran is free to persist despite sanctions if it wants.
At the very least, what international sanctions and global outrage may do is give heart and hope to the protesters, and help signal to them that the world is watching and standing with them.
13 January 2023 :
The family of Alireza Akbari, a British-Iranian dual national sentenced to death in Iran, have told BBC Persian that authorities are preparing to execute him.
Alireza Akbari's wife, Maryam, said the family had been asked to go to his prison for a "final visit" and that he had been moved to solitary confinement.
The ex-deputy Iranian defence minister was arrested in 2019 and convicted of spying for the UK, which he denied.
Alireza Akbari was given the death penalty for “corruption on Earth and for harming the country’s internal and external security by passing on intelligence”, Iran’s judicial news agency Mizan Online reported on Wednesday.
The former defence ministry official was described by Iran’s intelligence ministry as “one of the most important infiltrators of the country’s sensitive and strategic centres”.
Citing a statement from the intelligence ministry, Mizan said Akbari became a “key spy” for the United Kingdom’s “Secret Intelligence Service” – MI6 – because of “the importance of his position”.
BBC Persian also broadcast an audio message on Wednesday from Mr Akbari in which he says he was tortured and forced to confess on camera to crimes he did not commit.
He says that he was living abroad a few years ago when he was invited to visit Iran at the request of a top Iranian diplomat who was involved in nuclear talks with world powers.
Once there, he adds, he was accused of obtaining top secret intelligence from the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, "in exchange for a bottle of perfume and a shirt".
Mr Akbari served under Mr Shamkhani when the latter was defence minister during the presidency of Mohammad Khatami, a reformist who was in office for two terms between 1997 and 2005.
Mr Akbari alleges in the audio message that he was "interrogated and tortured" by intelligence agents "for more than 3,500 hours".
"During all those 3,500 hours, which took more than 10 months, they were recording my confessions with 10 cameras to make their Hollywood-style film," he says, adding that he was also given "psychedelic drugs".
"By using physiological and psychological methods, they broke my will, drove me to madness and forced me to do whatever they wanted. By the force of gun and death threats they made me confess to false and corrupt claims."
He also accuses Iran of seeking "to take revenge on the UK by executing me".
Hours after the audio message was broadcast, the Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency confirmed for the first time that Mr Akbari had been found guilty of espionage, and that the Supreme Court had rejected his appeal.
The UK’s foreign minister, James Cleverly, called the planned execution “politically motivated” and demanded Akbari’s immediate release.
“We are supporting the family of Mr Akbari and have repeatedly raised his case with the Iranian authorities,” a British foreign office spokesperson said in a statement. “Our priority is securing his immediate release and we have reiterated our request for urgent consular access. We have requested urgent consular access, but Iran's government does not recognise dual nationality for Iranians”.
Iran has arrested dozens of Iranians with dual nationality or foreign permanent residency in recent years, mostly on spying and national security charges.
British-Iranian citizens Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were released and allowed to leave Iran last year after the UK settled a long-standing debt owed to Iran.
However, at least 2 other British-Iranians remain in detention beside Mr Akbari, including Morad Tahbaz, who also holds US citizenship.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64240226
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/11/iran-sentences-dual-iranian-british-citizen-to-death-for-spying
12 January 2023 :
Belgian Olivier Vandecasteele Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison and Flogging. Iranian forcing to get a prisoner exchange.
Iran’s judiciary announced that the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Belgian Olivier Vandecasteele to 40 years imprisonment and 74 lashes.
According to HRANA, quoting Mizan Online news agency, jailed Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele was sentenced to imprisonment, flogging and paying a fine.
Vandecasteele received 12.5 years for “spying on the Islamic Republic of Iran for foreign intelligence services,” 12.5 years for “collaboration with the USA, as a hostile country against Iran’s regime,” 12.5 years for “money laundering half a million dollars,” as well as forfeiting this money and its revenues, and 2.5 years for “smuggling half million dollars.” He was also sentenced to a one-million-dollar fine and 74 lashes.
Appealing, reportedly, is admissible within 20 days.
At odds with this verdict, on December 14, 2022, quoting Vandecasteele’s family, RTL News reported that he had received 28 years. Vandecasteele’s whereabouts are still unknown.
On the Vandecasteele case see also HoC 21/07/2022, 22/07/2022 and 03/01/2023.
https://www.en-hrana.org/belgian-olivier-vandecasteele-sentenced-to-40-years-in-prison-and-flogging/
https://today.rtl.lu/news/world/a/2004994.html
10 January 2023 :
Iran sentences former president’s daughter Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani sentenced to a five-year prison term.
The daughter of former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (president from 1989 to 1997) has been sentenced to five years in prison, her lawyer said on Tuesday.
Faezeh Hashemi Bahramani, better known as Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani (born 1963) is an Iranian women's rights activist, politician and former journalist who served as a member of Iranian parliament from 1996 to 2000.
Rafsanjani was arrested again in late September 2022 during the Mahsa Amini protests
The lawyer did not give detail of the charges against Faezeh Hashemi. But Tehran’s public prosecutor indicted Hashemi last year on charges of “propaganda against the system,” according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.
State media in September reported she had been arrested for “inciting riots” in Tehran during protests triggered by the death of a young Kurdish woman in police custody.
The demonstrations have posed one of the biggest challenges to Iran’s clerical rulers since the 1979 revolution.
“Following the arrest of Ms. Faezeh Hashemi, she was sentenced to five years in prison but the sentence is not final,” defense lawyer Neda Shams wrote on her Twitter account. In 2012, Faezeh Hashemi was sentenced to jail and banned from political activities for “anti state propaganda” dating back to the 2009 disputed presidential election. Her father died in 2017.
Former president Rafsanjani’s pragmatic policies of economic liberalization and better relations with the West attracted fierce supporters and equally fierce critics during his life. He was one of the founders of the Islamic Republic.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2229626/middle-east
15 January 2023 :
Three More Protesters Sentenced To Death
Javad Rouhi, Kimia Javadi and Mehdi Mohammadifar
Reports say three more Iranian citizens arrested during antigovernment protests in Iran’s northern city of Nowshahr, have been sentenced to death.
The three are identified as Javad Rouhi, Kimia Javadi and Mehdi Mohammadifar.
Mizan news agency affiliated with the judiciary said Tuesday that Javad Rouhi, 35, was sentenced to death on charges of "corruption on earth" and "moharebeh" or “War against God”.
The Judiciary claimed Javad Rouhi has been one of the leaders of the protests in the city and insulted the religious sanctities by setting fire to Quran.
Mizan claimed that five people have been killed during the protests in Nowshahr on December 11 when Javad Rouhi “was leading the unrest”.
The accusations come as the regime does not let the defendants have access to their lawyers and holds sham trials based on forced confessions.
Mizan wrote that the decision can be appealed in the Supreme Court.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202301105613
https://iran-hrm.com/2023/01/12/javad-rouhis-life-in-danger-after-sentenced-to-death/
10 January 2023 :
Iranian Arrested In Germany On Suspicion Of Planning Terrorist Attack
Anti-terrorist agents in Germany have detained a 32-year-old Iranian man who is accused of planning an Islamist-motivated attack using chemicals.
The DPA news agency reported Sunday that the man along with another one has been arrested in Castrop-Rauxel in Germany's north-western Ruhr area.
They raided the man's Castrop-Rauxel residence, in the Ruhr region, but prosecutors said no poison was found.
The suspect's brother was also arrested and the pair remain in custody.
While they did not find poison, police did seize electronic devices from the residence.
A Düsseldorf senior public prosecutor said the tip-off about the man came from a friendly foreign intelligence service.
Police say he is suspected of having obtained the toxins cyanide and ricin which are highly toxic and listed as biological weapons by Germany.
"The accused is suspected of having prepared a serious act of violence that is dangerous to the state," investigators said. "Evidence has been secured and is being evaluated," added DPA.
It has not yet been decided whether the 32-year-old will be brought before a court, but police said, it may carry a prison sentence of between six months to 10 years.
Tabloid newspaper Bild reported that German authorities had been watching the men for days, after receiving a warning from a "friendly intelligence agency."
According to local media, the raids were carried out by agents wearing protective suits, due to the chemical hazard.
Dpa cited unnamed German security official saying there was no indication the suspect had acted on behalf of the Iranian state, but rather that he allegedly supported a Sunni extremist group. Sunnis are a religious minority in Iran.
Germany has been targeted in recent years by several Islamist attacks. In 2016 a truck attack on Christmas markets in Berlin killed 12 people and left dozens injured.
Five years ago, German police arrested a Tunisian man and his wife on suspicion of planning to carry out a ricin attack in the name of the Islamic State group. They were later found guilty and sentenced to 10 and eight years' imprisonment, respectively.
Even small amounts of ricin, which is produced from the seeds of castor oil plants, can kill an adult if eaten, injected or inhaled.
German domestic intelligence services say the number of supporters of Islamist causes is diminishing, citing the "military breakup" of the ISIS group.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202301087936
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64201772
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/08/1147737294/an-iranian-man-has-been-held-in-germany-over-a-suspected-chemical-attack
Hands off Cain is an international league of citizens and parliamentarians for the abolition of the death penalty in the world. It is a non-profit, non-violent, transnational and trans-national Partito Radicale founded in Brussels in 1993 and recognized in 2005 by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a development co-operation NGO.
