Iran Human Rights

Two Prisoners Executed For Espionage in Tehran this Morning- At Least 62 Executions in Iran Since April 16

Iran Human Rights — 2013-05-19T09:39:58Z

Iran Human Rights, May 19: Two prisoners were hanged in Tehran's Evin Prison early this morning.

According to the state-run Iranian news agency Fars, the prisoners were identified as Koroush Ahmadi and Mohammad Heydari charged with "Espionage" and "Moharebeh" (waging war against God) for "Providing sensitive information to the CIA and Mossad (the Israeli intelligence agency)."

Iran Human Rights (IHR) is investigating the background of these prisoners.

Collaboration with foreign intelligence services is a charge commonly used by Iranian authorities against journalists and political activists.

IHR strongly condemns the execution of Koroush Ahmadi and Mohamad Heydari and holds Ali Khamenei, the Iranian Supreme Leader responsible for these executions. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR urged the international community to condemn executions in Iran. Amiry -Moghaddam said: "Today's executions are a part of the Iranian regime's attempts to prevent dissent before the upcoming presidential elections in June. Ali Khamenei knows well that new protests may lead to the fall of his dictatorship." Amiry-Moghaddam added:"Several political prisoners are in imminent danger of execution in Iranian prisons. The international community must intervene to stop these executions."

Since April 16, at least 62 people have been executed in Iran.

Seven prisoners Were Hanged In Northern Iran

Iran Human Rights — 2013-05-15T13:31:25Z

Iran Human Rights, May 15: Seven prisoners were hanged in the central Prison of Rasht (Northern Iran) today. According to the official website of the Iranian Judiciary in Gilan Province the prisoners were all convicted of possession and trafficking of narcotic drugs. The prisoners were identified as: Jahangir Gorgij, Hashem bahar Ali, Shahram Hassan-Zadeh, Nemat Rajabi, Fahad Shirazi, Mohammad Zareiiand Tooraj Amini, said the report. No further details were given in the (...) - English / execution, Highlights

إعدام عشرة أشخاص خلال الأسبوع الأول من أيار في وسط وغربي إيران

Iran Human Rights — 2013-05-08T14:02:06Z

إيران لحقوق الإنسان،7 أيار: عقب تنفيذ حكم الإعدام فيما يقارب الـ 31 شخصا في إيران خلال الأسبوعين الأخيرين من شهر نيسان وفق المصادر الرسمية الإيرانية، تم تنفيذ حكم الإعدام بحق عشرة آخرين خلال الأسبوع الأول من أيار في كل من سجن أراكـ ومدينة أصفهان في وسط إيران ومدينة کرمانشاه الواقعة غربي إيران.

وفق المعلومات التي وردت من الإعلام الرسمي الإيراني، فلقد قامت السلطات بتنفيذ حكم الإعدام بحق أربعة سجناء في سجن أراكـ يوم الثاني من أيار. حيث أفادت المعلومات بأن الأربعة سجناء قد تم إدانتهم بجرائم تتعلق بحيازة، وبيع، وشراء مواد مخدرة كالكوكايين والحشيش وغيره، وفق زعم المصادر الرسمية.

وفي حادثة أخرى، قامت السلطات الإيرانية بتنفيذ حكم الإعدام شنقاَ وبشكل علني بحق ثلاثة سجناء آخرين يوم السادس من أيار وذلك في ميدان التحرير في مدينة کرمانشاه غربي إيران والذي كان شاهداً على عدد من الإعدامات خلال الأعوام المنصرمة. ووفق المعلومات الواردة من وكالة أنباء أسنا الحكومية، كان قد تم إدانة الأربعة سجناء بتنفيذ جرائم قتل. إثنين من السجناء كان قد تم إدانتهم بقتل رجل كانا قد أقاما علاقة غير شرعية مع زوجته، ووفق التقارير تم دفع مبلغ من المال لهم يقدر بـ 6 مليون ريال إيراني لقتل الزوج. في حين لم يذكر التقرير إن كانت الزوجة قد أُدينت بالزنا والتواطأ في عملية القتل.

أما السجين الثالث والذي تم إعدامه، فلقد أفادت المعلومات بأنه كان قد تمت إدانته بقتل فتاة كانت قد رفضت هي وعائلتها طلبه بالزواج منها.

وفي سجن أصفهان الواقع في وسط إيران، قامت السلطات بتنفيذ حكم الإعدام شنقاً بحق ثلاثة سجناء اليوم صباحاً الموافق السابع من أيار. ووفق المصادر الإيرانية الرسمية، كان قد تم إدانة الثلاثة سجناء بجرائم تتعلق بحيازة وبيع وشراء الهيروين والكوكايين.

من جهتها استنكرت مؤسسة إيران لحقوق الإنسان موجة الإعدامات الأخيرة التي تشهدها إيران. وأفاد الناطق باسمها محمود أميرى مقدم بان هذه الموجة الأخيرة من الإعدامات تهدف إلى نشر الرعب بين الناس وذلك لمنع أي احتجاجات شعبية والتي قد تحدث كرد فعل على الانتخابات الرئاسية المقبلة في شهر حزيران المقبل.

Three Prisoners Hanged Publicly at the Liberty Square of Kermanshah (Western Iran)

Iran Human Rights — 2013-05-06T16:49:55Z

Iran Human Rights, May 6: Three prisoners were hanged in the "Liberty Square" of Kermanshah (western Iran) today.

According to the state run Iranian news agency ISNA, the prisoners were all convicted of murder.

Two of the prisoners were convicted of murdering a man , had "immoral" relationship with the man's wife and where given 6 million Toman for kliing the husband. The report didn't mention whether the victim's wife was convicted of adultery and complicity in murder.

The third man who was hanged publicly today was also convictied of killing a girl with a gun. the girl and her family had refused to get married to the man, said the report.

None of those executed today were identified by name.

Kermanshah's "Liberty Square" has been the scene of several public executions in the past few years (picture above, January 2012).

Iran Human rights strongly condemn's the new wave of public executions in Iran. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR said: " the new wave of executions in Iran are meant to spread fear among the people in order to prevent protests in relation with the coming Presidential elections in June".

Seven Prisoners Hanged in Iran-One Hanged in Public

Iran Human Rights — 2013-04-30T23:31:32Z

Iran Human Rights, April 30: According to the Iranian state media seven prisoners have been executed in three different Iranian cities in the past days.

Four prisoners hanged in the prison of Kerman on April 26:

According to the state run Iranian news agency Aftab, four prisoners were hanged in the prison of Kerman Friday April 26.

Two of the prisoners were convicted of participation in armed smugling of 263 kilograms opium and 243 kilograms of crack, while the other two prisoners were convicted of armed smuggling of 188 kilograms of crack, said the report.

None of the prisoners were identified by name.

Four other prisoners convicted of drug related charges were hanged in the prison prison of Kerman a week earlier.

Two prisoners were hanged in the prison of Varamin (near Tehran) Sunday April 28

According to the state run Iranian news agency Fars two prisoners were hanged in the prison of Varamin early Sunday morning April 28. The prisoners were identified as Ghasem B. charged with possession and trafficking of 400 grams, and Hadi Kh. charged with possession and trafficking of 547 grams of crack, said the report.

One prisoner was hanged publicly in Kazeroun (southern Iran)

According to the official Iranian news agency IRNA one prisoner was hanged publicly in Kazeroun (Fars Province, southern Iran). The prisoner was identified as S. A. and was convicted of sodomy rape.

11 Prisoners Among Them 2 Women and 2 Afghan Citizens Were Executed in Iran

Iran Human Rights — 2013-04-24T22:45:03Z

Iran Human Rights, April 25: According to official reports from Iran 11 prisoners, among them two women and two Afghan citizens, have been executed in the last 3 days in the prisons of Mashhad, Bam and Kermanshah. One prisoner was also executed in the prison of Urmia according to unofficial reports.

Four prisoners executed in Mashhad:

According to the Iranian state broadcasting two prisoners were executed in the prison of Mashhad Wednesday April 24. According to this report the prisoners were 26 and 22 year old men who were convicted of rape in two different cases in 2010.

According to Tabnak (website close to the authorities) two other prisoners were hanged in the prison of Mashhad on April 22. Quoting the Khorasan daily newspaper the reports said that the men were two young Afghan citizens who were convicted of raping a 16 year old girl.

None of the prisoners were identified by name.

Four prisoners among them two women were executed in Kermanshah (Western Iran):

According to the Iranian state broadcasting fur prisoners were hanged in the Dizelabad prison of Kermanshahon on April 22. According to this report the prisoners who were not identified by name were "major distributors of narcotic drugs in the area". They were charged with possession of 2000 grams of heroin and 25000 grams of opium said the report. Two of the prisners were women according to the report but none of them were identified by name.

Three prisoners were hanged in the prison of Bam (Southeastern Iran):

According to Khorasannews three prisoners were hanged in the prison of Bam (southeastern Iran) . One of the prisoners was convicted of participation in possession and trafficking of 5 kilograms of heroin, while the two others were charged with distribution of 9 kilograms of heroin. None of the prisoners were identified by name.

One prisoner was hanged in the prison of Urmia

According to the unofficial Kurdish news agency Kurdpa one prisoner identified as "Nazmi Abbasnejad" (32 year old) was hanged in the prison of Urmia today Wednesday April 24. According to the report the prisoner was convicted of drug related charges. The news was not announced by the official media. According to Iran Human Rights' "annual report on the death penalty" none of the 23 executions in the Urmia prison in 2012 were announced by the official Iranian media.

Five Prisoners Executed In Iran Today

Iran Human Rights — 2013-04-17T20:22:29Z

Iran Human Rights, April 17: Five prisoners were hanged in three different Iranian prisons today, Wednesday April 17.

One prisoner hanged in the prison of Zarand (Southeastern Iran):

According to the Iranian state media one prisoner was hanged in the prison of Zarand (Kerman Province, southeastern Iran) Wednesday morning. The prisoner who was not identified by name was a 41 year old man convicted of trafficking of 1875 grams of heroin said the report.

Two prisoners hanged in the prison of Mashhad:

According to the Iranian state broadcasting two prisoners were hanged in the prison of Mashhad (northeastern Iran) early this morning. The prisoners were identified as "a 21 year old worker" and "a 41 year old man" and convicted of rape in two different cases.

Two prisoners were hanged in the prison fa Rajai Shahr in Karaj (west of Tehran):

According to reliable sources that Iran Human Rights (IHR) has been in contact with, two prisoners were hanged in the Rajai Shahr prison of Karaj early this morning, April 17. One of the prisoners was identified as "Hossein Cheflaki", born in 1988 (1367 Iranian Calendar), arrested in 2007 (1386) charged with murder. The other prisoner whose identity is not certain*, was also chraged with murder. The executions were not reported by the official Iranian sources. According to IHR's annual report on the death penalty in 2012, there were at least 113 un-announced executions in the prisons of Tehran /Karaj area.

Yesterday, 9 prisoners were hanged in Shiraz (southern Iran). Six of the executions were carried out publicly (Picture above).

Iran Human Rights April 18: The Iranian website Tabnak (close to the authorities) identified the other prisoner as "Reza".

Denmark Stops Aid to Iran's Fight Against Drug Trafficking-

Iran Human Rights — 2013-04-09T10:23:24Z

Iran Human Rights, April 9: The Danish government has decided to cut its aids to Iran's anti-drug program, say Danish newspapers today.

Denmark was one of several western countries providing financial aid to Iran's war on drugs. The aid is provided to Iranian authorities though the UNODC (United Nation's office for drugs and crimes).

Many of those in Iran who are issued drug related charges are executed. According to the Iran Human Rights annual report on the death penalty in 2012, at least 76% of all executions (438 out of 580 executions) in 2012 were for drug-related charges.

In the past few years several human rights organizations have urged the UNODC and donor countries to stop contributing indirectly to the increase in executions in Iran.

Danish newspaper Politiken reported that "Denmark has the past two years given five million dollars annually to a counter-narcotics program in Iran."

“During the same period, the Iranian authorities executed hundreds of suspected drug offenders, and on this basis, Development Minister Christian Friis Bach (Radikale) has now decided to immediately discontinue support for the program”, reported Politiken Tuesday.

– “It is a signal to Iran that the use of the death penalty is unacceptable and something that we in no way can vouch for”, he told Politiken.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR welcomed Denmark's decision and said: "We still haven't heard the details through official channels, but given that the news is true, we are very glad and hope other countries providing aid to the UNODC's cooperation with Iran will follow Denmark's move. This aid should go to programs promoting human rights and not to programs contributing to the death penalty."

ANNUAL REPORT ON THE DEATH PENALTY IN IRAN- 2012

Iran Human Rights — 2013-04-04T10:23:20Z

Iran Human Rights, April 4: Iran Human Rights will present the "Annual report on the death penalty in Iran 2012" with the French NGO "Ensemble Contre la Peine de Morte" (ECPM) today.

PDF version of the full report can be uploaded here:

A short version of the report is presented below.

Introduction:

The fifth annual report of Iran Human Rights (IHR) on the death penalty in Iran is an assessment of how the death penalty was used in 2012. Due to harsh crackdowns on civil society, non-existing freedom of press and lack of transparency of the Iranian judicial system, the present report by no means covers all death penalty cases in Iran. The report is the result of efforts by human rights defenders, members and affiliates of IHR in Iran who, on some occasions, took serious risks to help provide a more accurate picture of the death penalty than the official channels do.

The number of executions in 2012 in Iran is among the highest in more than 15 years. Besides the confirmed numbers, it is believed there is a large number of unannounced executions.

Annual 2012 report at a glance:

• At least 580 people were executed in 2012 in Iran.

• 294 cases (51%) were reported by official Iranian sources.

• 286 cases included in the annual numbers were reported by unofficial sources.

• Only 85 out of the estimated 325 secret executions carried out in Vakilabad Prison in 2012 are included in the present report.

• At least 76% of executions included in this report were due to drug related charges.

• 60 executions were carried out in public in 2012. 46% of all public executions were carried out in the province of Fars (southern Iran).

• One third (20) of those executed in public were convicted of drug-related charges.

• At least 27 Afghan citizens and one Pakistani citizen were executed in in 2012.

• At least 9 women were executed in 2012.

• IHR has received reports of secret or ‘un-announced' executions in more than 15 different Iranian prisons.

The Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran – 2012 is being published at a time when Iranian society heads toward an uncertain future. Socio-economic conditions worsen each day, and in June 2013 another round of Presidential elections will commence in Iran. Keeping in mind the 2009 post-election protests in Iran and the Arab Spring in 2010 and 2011, Iranian authorities are well aware that the outcome of new protests in June 2013 may be even worse than the protests in 2009. They are therefore doing the maximum to prevent new protests. Spreading fear through society is the Iranian authorities' main oppressive strategy, and the death penalty is their most important instrument to do so.

Since the protests in 2009, the number of executions, particularly public executions, has risen dramatically. Public executions in 2012 were more than six times higher than numbers from 2009. The trend continues in 2013. Just in January and February 2013 alone, 20 people were hanged in public. Other demonstrations of horror were carried out in 2013, including the Taliban-style public hanging of a young man in a football (soccer) stadium in Sabzevar , the public executions of two young men, who were convicted of mugging charges , and the public amputation of a man's fingers in Shiraz .

Secret executions in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad (northeastern Iran) have resumed. Since October 2012, IHR has received reports of weekly executions in Vakilabad Prison, where probably several hundred prisoners have been executed so far. IHR has included only a small portion of those executions in this report; only those that have been confirmed by at least two independent sources. IHR and ECPM characterize mass executions in Vakilabad Prisonas a massacre and have urged the United Nations to send a fact-finding mission to Iran to investigate these executions . There are also reports of unannounced executions in several other Iranian prisons, such as Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj. Death row prisoners in this prison live under the constant fear of execution .

Drug-related charges still account for the majority of executions in Iran, and most prisoners executed on drug-related charges are unidentified. These prisoners do not receive coverage from international media, campaigns do not exist to help save their lives, and their executions do not typically lead to international attention. However, in 2012, victims of the Iranian regime's ‘war on drugs'— which is supported by UNODC—were finally given a face.

Saeed Sedighi, a young man tortured to confess to drug trafficking, was sentenced to death after an unfair trial and executed in October 2012. His execution was postponed for one week due to an international campaign initiated by several human rights organizations as IHR and ECPM, statements issued by UN Special Rapporteurs, and reactions from the international community. Many death row prisoners in Iran are treated in a similar manner. They are subjected to torture, coerced confessions, unfair trials, and their cases do not receive appropriate attention.

IHR and ECPM along with other human rights groups have urged the UNODC to halt all fundings to Iran as long as prisoners, convicted of drug-related charges, are facing the death penalty.

IHR and ECPM are also concerned about death row prisoners from ethnic regions in Iran, especially the Arab, Baluchi, and Kurdish prisoners who remain at imminent danger of execution.

In 2012 four imprisoned Ahwazi Arab activists were executed and death sentences for five more (Mohammad Ali Amourinejad, Hashem Shabani, Hadi Rashedi, Mokhtar Alboshoka and Jaber Alboshoka) Ahwazi Arab activists, charged with “Moharebeh”, were upheld by the Iranian Supreme Court.

Six Salafist Kurdish prisoners were executed in December 2012 in Tehran and more are awaiting on death row.

Zanyar and Loghman Moradi, two Kurdish death row prisoners continue to be at imminent danger of execution. Less information is available regarding Baluchi death row prisoners, but according to IHR reports, many Baluchi prisoners have been executed in other Iranian prisons outside Baluchistan.

As the June Presidential election nears, we fear an increase in the number of executions, particularly in the ethnic regions of Iran. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the international spokesperson for IHR, says: “We urge the international community to pay more attention to Iran in the coming months as we expect an increase in the number of executions. There are also several prisoners of conscience who are at imminent danger of execution.” He continues: “We urge the United Nations to impose a ban on public executions, which besides being a dehumanizing punishment, also brutalizes the general public; particularly children.”

New Executions in Vakilabad- About 500 Executions in One Prison Since October 2012- IHR Urges the International Community to Intervene Immediately

Iran Human Rights — 2013-02-26T09:25:30Z

Iran Human Rights, February 24: On February 3, Iran Human Rights (IHR) reported that secret executions in Vakilabad prison had resumed after several months' halt due to international reactions. The executions began in October 2012 and have been taking place on Wednesdays and Sundays every week. On a few occasions there have been three weekly executions. Each time, at least ten prisoners are hanged; on two occasions in November and December, thirty-five and fifty prisoners were executed respectively. The executions take place in complete secrecy, and the phone lines of the prison are cut off several hours before the executions. - Neither the prisoners nor their families and lawyers (if they have them) are informed about the executions in advance.

Tens of prisoners, among them a possible minor, executed on February 10 and 13

Reliable reports from Vakilabad prison indicate that the mass executions are still taking place. IHR has now received more details about the mass executions which occurred on Sunday, February 10 and Wednesday, February 13. According to these reports, at least ten prisoners were executed on February 10, while the number of prisoners executed on Wednesday February 13 was much higher. Most of those executed were convicted of drug related charges. However, a possible minor offender was among those executed on February 13: a young boy who had just turned eighteen and was convicted of murder. According to our sources, the boy was allegedly a minor and under narcotic-induced psychosis when he committed the offence.

Many Afghan citizens among those executed:

IHR has also received reports about a significant number of Afghan prisoners among those executed in the Vakilabad prison in the past few months. The bodies of the executed Afghan prisoners, which were not transferred to Afghanistan, are buried at a section of the Mashhad Cemetery (Behesht-e-Reza) along with the bodies of the other prisoners executed secretly in Vakilabad. This part of the cemetery is monitored by cameras and patrolled by the Iranian security forces. A recent report from BBC Persian supports IHR's reports on execution of Afghans in Vakilabad. On February 23, BBC Persian reported that bodies of five Afghan prisoners, who were executed in Iran, were buried in the Kalafgan district of Takhar Province in Afghanistan. Quoting the families of those executed, the report says that about 80 people from this district have been executed in the last six months in Iran. The report said that 50 bodies were trensferred to Afghanistan while the remining bodies are being kept at cold rooms in Iran.

United Nations must intervene

Based on the new information about the mass executions in Vakilabad, IHR has sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations (UN) to send a fact finding mission to Iran. IHR spokesperson Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “What is going on in Vakilabad is a massacre. These are arbitrary and unlawful mass executions that must be stopped[…] We urge the UN to send a fact finding commission to Iran immediately and we ask the international community to react. Hundreds or possibly thousands of the prisoners can be executed in the coming months.” Amiry-Moghaddam also urged the Afghan government to follow up the situation of its imprisoned citizens in Iran more closely, saying, “Afghan citizens are among the weakest in the Iranian society. Many of those imprisoned do not have access to lawyers and their execution is violation of international obligations. Unfortunately, the Afghan government doesn't seem to pay much attention to its imprisoned citizens in Iran.”

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Overfilled prisons Iranian authorities' motivation for the mass executions?

According to unconfirmed reports, there could be as many as 3,000 death row prisoners in Vakilabad in danger of execution in the coming months. IHR believes that secret executions also take place in other Iranian prisoners. In its annual report from 2011, IHR reported confirmed secret executions in fifteen different Iranian prisoners. One of the reasons for the secret mass executions in Vakilabad and other Iranian prisons is that the prisons are overfilled. According to official Iranian reports, there are 600,000 prisoners in the Iranian prisons. IHR's sources estimate that there are 20,000 prisoners in Vakilabad, though the prison only has the capacity to house 4,000 inmates. According to eyewitnesses, in some of the wards the prisoners have to sleep on the steps and in the corridors. The situation is similar in several other Iranian prisons, and it seems that mass execution of the death row prisoners is one of the solutions Iranian authorities have sought to overcrowded prisons in Iran.

Human rights groups published the first reports on secret executions in Vakilabad prison in 2010. According to the estimates at least 500 prisoners were executed in 2010-2011. Names of more than 100 executed prisoners were published in 2011. The executions halted in 2011 due to international attention. However, the executions have resumed and according to IHR's conservative estimates that about 500 prisoners are executed in this prison since October 2012.