Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); May 19, 2023: At least five prisoners have been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions in Rajai Shahr and Qezel Hesar prisons in Karaj.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, four men were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions in Qezel Hesar Prison on 19 May. They were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
Their families have gathered outside Qezel Hesar prison in Karaj in an attempt to save their lives.
Furthermore, at least one prisoner has been transferred for execution in Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison. They were sentenced to death for charges of efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) for alleged human trafficking.
Their executions are expected to be carried out within days.
According to the 2022 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 582 people were executed in Iran. Of those, 256 people were executed for drug-related offences, a more than two-fold increase compared to 2021 (126) and ten times more than 2020 (25).