30 May 2017 :
The Iranian authorities reportedly hanged three prisoners on drug related charges in the morning.
According to the human rights news agency HRANA, the prisoners were executed at Urmia Central Prison. The prisoners' names are Salahuddin Shafikia, Ramezan Mokhtari, and Osman Hosni. Osman Hosni was reportedly sentenced to death for possession and trafficking ten kilograms of crystal meth. Salahuddin Shafikia was reportedly sentenced to death for possession and trafficking 1.5 kilograms of heroin. Ramezan Mokhtari was sentenced to death for possession and trafficking 100 kilograms of morphine.
Iranian parliament members had formerly requested from the Judiciary to stop drug related executions for at least five thousand prisoners pending further investigation. However, the request has not stopped the Judiciary from carrying out death sentences for prisoners with drug related charges.
It is possible that the Iranian authorities carried out these three executions in a hasty manner due to the start of Ramadan. Iranian official sources, including the media and the Judiciary, have not announced these three executions.
