Iran Human Rights Warns of Execution Spree; at Least 42 Executed in 10 Days
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); May 5, 2023: At least two men were executed for drug-related charges in Qezel Hesar Prison. At least 42 people including 22 Baluch minorities were executed in the last ten days. Two were Baluch women and 27 were executed for drug-related charges. Reports indicate upcoming widespread executions in Qezel Hesar Prison.
Warning of the upcoming widespread executions in Qezel Hesar Prison, Iran Human Rights urges the international community to show urgent and appropriate reaction.
Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “The Islamic Republic has executed one person every six hours in the last ten days while the international community has remained silent. More than half of those executed were Baluch minorities and drug defendants from the most marginalised communities who are low-cost victims of the government’s killing machine.”
“The purpose of the executions are to create societal fear, not to fight crime! The UN Office for Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) and their funding Member States have a unique responsibility to stop the Islamic Republic’s execution machine and shouldn’t allow the authorities’ cooperation with the UNODC to legitimise the executions.”
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Qezel Hesar Prison on 4 May. Their identities have been established as Mohammad Ali Bani Ebrahimi from Bam and Mehdi Farakhi from Varamin. They were both sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
There is no news about the fate of another man who was transferred for execution with the executed men.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Speaking about death row prisoners in Qezel Hesar Prison, an informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Prison authorities say they’ve received orders to carry out the execution of death row prisoners. On the other hand, the Varamin Prosecutor has changed and the new prosecutor has decided to carry out drug executions.”
Of the 42 people executed in the last ten days, only two have been announced by official sources. At least 194 people have been executed in 2023 in Iran.
According to reports gathered by Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), at least 256 people were executed for drug-related offences in 2022, a more than two-fold increase compared to 2021 (126) and ten times more than 2020 (25).
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